WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, urgently pressuring lawmakers to approve a massive economic recovery bill, turned his first news conference Monday night into a determined defense of his emergency plan and an offensive against Republicans who try to "play the usual political games."
http://ping.fm/vzGqH
Pay attention: The Earth is Changing and we are the last generation positioned to do anything about it. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
Monday, February 09, 2009
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Of Interest...NWI Times
May 31st 2008
The memorial tattoos on Gary police Officer Keith Richardson and Sgt. Brian Colbert represent their connection with their fellow Gary police, and their distance from everyone else. Colbert feels he only can talk to his co-workers about his job. When Richardson mentions a time a man shot at him, he does it casually, the way another person might recall a minor car accident or a dispute with the bank.
"Until you've walked in these boots," Richardson begins.
"You'll never know," Colbert finishes.
Richardson - a slim, efficient uniformed officer - bears a tattoo for Dorian Rorex, a Gary detective shot dead by a drug suspect in 1998. The big, jocular, talkative Colbert carries a forearm full of tattoos that memorialize all fallen officers. Colbert has one tattoo specifically for a close friend, Cpl. Louis "Boochie" Donald Jr., who died in a car wreck during a police chase in 2001.
They speak the cop dialect: weary and proud, protective of society and disturbed by society. Most of all, they feel linked to other police. Others can't understand, they say.
"The reason that I exist is my two daughters, and I don't have them tattooed on here," Richardson said.
Read the remainder of NWI Times News reporter DAN HINKEL's article here.
The memorial tattoos on Gary police Officer Keith Richardson and Sgt. Brian Colbert represent their connection with their fellow Gary police, and their distance from everyone else. Colbert feels he only can talk to his co-workers about his job. When Richardson mentions a time a man shot at him, he does it casually, the way another person might recall a minor car accident or a dispute with the bank.
"Until you've walked in these boots," Richardson begins.
"You'll never know," Colbert finishes.
Richardson - a slim, efficient uniformed officer - bears a tattoo for Dorian Rorex, a Gary detective shot dead by a drug suspect in 1998. The big, jocular, talkative Colbert carries a forearm full of tattoos that memorialize all fallen officers. Colbert has one tattoo specifically for a close friend, Cpl. Louis "Boochie" Donald Jr., who died in a car wreck during a police chase in 2001.
They speak the cop dialect: weary and proud, protective of society and disturbed by society. Most of all, they feel linked to other police. Others can't understand, they say.
"The reason that I exist is my two daughters, and I don't have them tattooed on here," Richardson said.
Read the remainder of NWI Times News reporter DAN HINKEL's article here.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Get Involved in Your Schools
I found this on an e-mail list and feel that it is worth passing along to you who are concerned. This is the best way to get vital news out to the public.
These decisions have been made by the school board. No one likes change, but it is necessary in our district for us to proceed with change and progress.
Many Wirt students, special needs students included, come from the Horace Mann area. Wirt students are not exclusively from the 1st District now.
The themed high schools will launch in the fall of 2009.
At Emerson, the student has one class/school day in their major. The rest of the school day is academic work as usual. Emerson is the only Gary high school which made AYP again this year. Emerson's ISTEP scores are the highest in Gary and are competitve with other schools in NWIN. Much of the arts activity is done after school, again requiring heightened parental and student involvement. The performance aspect of Emerson alone is community outreach. The auditorium at Wirt is beautiful, and it will be fully utilized by Emerson. Emerson hasn't had a place of its own in which to perform for years.
West Side will be taking on middle school students as will each of the four themed schools. (Emerson is already 6-12 because of its charter. It's ready-made for this configuration and is ready and anxious to expand.) This all is happening this fall.
The 1st District is not sacrificing its school. Emerson has always been a 1st District school. As it has been for years now, all the Gary high schools have been schools of choice. The kids are bussed all over the city. I have some of the same students I taught at Wirt now at West Side. At least now the movement will make some sense.
Subject: get involved in your schools
First District parents are being told that a student does not have to be a prodigy to attend Emerson. That may be true, but when I went to the Indiana Department of Education website, I did not find any teacher for students with special needs at Emerson.
Not counting Learning Disabled and those with Emotional Disabilities, there are 296 special needs students at Wirt. Where will the special needs students from the 1st District go?
Another concern is where will the students who have no desire to major in the arts go? There is not going to be a new themed schools until 2010 at the earliest, if ever.
I do agree with Nora that it takes parental and community involvement for any school to succeed. I also believe that if this community puts as much effort into making its local schools work as it does for other issues, any school in the 1st District will be successful.
Here are a few more questions:
Will the education of the children in the 1st District be advanced when the majority of them are transferred to Roosevelt, Lew Wallace or West Side? Will the majority of children in the 1st District have the same opportunity to succeed as the students at Banneker and Emerson? Should the board wait until all the schools are themed schools before closing Wirt? Why is the board asking the 1st District to sacrifice its school when West Side is a larger facility and has a state of the art auditorium? Should the school district be subsidizing the Gary Theater Guild with our taxes? Should the students have to compete with the theater guild for West Side High School's auditorium? Should the board be spending money on reconfiguring the high schools or fixing leaky roofs?
Ask questions. Get involved. Here is the link to the school board committee meetings.
http://ping.fm/Gze60
Check out this link to see the number of students at Emerson and the cost per pupil:
http://ping.fm/0Rpat
You will have to scroll down to the bottom of this page to find this information,
Then check out this link to see class sizes and courses offered at Emerson:
http://ping.fm/CYRvp
Now click on this link to see the number of students and cost per student for Wirt High School. http://ping.fm/8yz6W
Again, you will have to go to the bottom of the page to find this information.
Then check out this link for class sizes and courses offered.
http://ping.fm/zsglz
There are 14 special needs teachers at Wirt.
I found this on an e-mail list and feel that it is worth passing along to you who are concerned. This is the best way to get vital news out to the public.
These decisions have been made by the school board. No one likes change, but it is necessary in our district for us to proceed with change and progress.
Many Wirt students, special needs students included, come from the Horace Mann area. Wirt students are not exclusively from the 1st District now.
The themed high schools will launch in the fall of 2009.
At Emerson, the student has one class/school day in their major. The rest of the school day is academic work as usual. Emerson is the only Gary high school which made AYP again this year. Emerson's ISTEP scores are the highest in Gary and are competitve with other schools in NWIN. Much of the arts activity is done after school, again requiring heightened parental and student involvement. The performance aspect of Emerson alone is community outreach. The auditorium at Wirt is beautiful, and it will be fully utilized by Emerson. Emerson hasn't had a place of its own in which to perform for years.
West Side will be taking on middle school students as will each of the four themed schools. (Emerson is already 6-12 because of its charter. It's ready-made for this configuration and is ready and anxious to expand.) This all is happening this fall.
The 1st District is not sacrificing its school. Emerson has always been a 1st District school. As it has been for years now, all the Gary high schools have been schools of choice. The kids are bussed all over the city. I have some of the same students I taught at Wirt now at West Side. At least now the movement will make some sense.
Subject: get involved in your schools
First District parents are being told that a student does not have to be a prodigy to attend Emerson. That may be true, but when I went to the Indiana Department of Education website, I did not find any teacher for students with special needs at Emerson.
Not counting Learning Disabled and those with Emotional Disabilities, there are 296 special needs students at Wirt. Where will the special needs students from the 1st District go?
Another concern is where will the students who have no desire to major in the arts go? There is not going to be a new themed schools until 2010 at the earliest, if ever.
I do agree with Nora that it takes parental and community involvement for any school to succeed. I also believe that if this community puts as much effort into making its local schools work as it does for other issues, any school in the 1st District will be successful.
Here are a few more questions:
Will the education of the children in the 1st District be advanced when the majority of them are transferred to Roosevelt, Lew Wallace or West Side? Will the majority of children in the 1st District have the same opportunity to succeed as the students at Banneker and Emerson? Should the board wait until all the schools are themed schools before closing Wirt? Why is the board asking the 1st District to sacrifice its school when West Side is a larger facility and has a state of the art auditorium? Should the school district be subsidizing the Gary Theater Guild with our taxes? Should the students have to compete with the theater guild for West Side High School's auditorium? Should the board be spending money on reconfiguring the high schools or fixing leaky roofs?
Ask questions. Get involved. Here is the link to the school board committee meetings.
http://ping.fm/Gze60
Check out this link to see the number of students at Emerson and the cost per pupil:
http://ping.fm/0Rpat
You will have to scroll down to the bottom of this page to find this information,
Then check out this link to see class sizes and courses offered at Emerson:
http://ping.fm/CYRvp
Now click on this link to see the number of students and cost per student for Wirt High School. http://ping.fm/8yz6W
Again, you will have to go to the bottom of the page to find this information.
Then check out this link for class sizes and courses offered.
http://ping.fm/zsglz
There are 14 special needs teachers at Wirt.
Monday, February 02, 2009
GoDaddy.com finally broke through
TiVo Inc. the creator and a leader of advertising solutions and television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced this year's top ten Super Bowl commercial moments.
This information was prepared using aggregated, anonymous, second-by-second audience measurement data about how TiVo subscribers watched the game, primarily which spots were rewound and watched again.
GoDaddy.com finally broke through this year, snatching the coveted crown from the E-Trade talking baby, which couldn't repeat this year despite similarly themed follow-up spots.
This is the first top ten finish for GoDaddy, infamous for a too-hot-for-TV campaign it has utilized the past couple Super Bowls. The Internet domain company apparently benefited from the game's dramatic finish, as their fourth quarter spot had far more viewership than the ad the company ran in the first quarter. And Bud Light does it again, this year another clear winner holding two of the top ten spots.
With unemployment rates rising from coast to coast, two job Websites cashed in on grabbing viewers' attention, with Careerbuilder.com claiming the number three slot and competitor Monster.com landing at number six. Doritos continues to ride a user-generated strategy to strong success, with this year's entrant earning a number four ranking.
Annual list occupants Bud Light, Pepsi and Coke held their own, with each brand occupying a piece of the top ten. First time Super Bowl advertiser Denny's cracked the top ten thanks to the last five seconds of the ad, in which the chain unveiled a free Grand Slam breakfast offer. Also, the movie preview for the upcoming Transformers sequel marks the first time a movie trailer landed on the TiVo top ten list since 2003 when both Universal Pictures Bruce Almighty and Sony Pictures - Charlie's Angels Full Throttle made the list.
Prior to the game much was made about 3-D advertisements, but consumers apparently didn't grab their 3-D glasses in time, as spots such as a preview for Monsters vs. Aliens fell well short of the pace, barely cracking the top fifty.
"This year TiVo viewers were in control of one of the greatest NFL games ever played, a perfect example of the power of pressing pause or rewind during a live-action event," said Todd Juenger, Vice President & General Manager, TiVo Audience Research and Measurement.
"Topping the drama and excitement of last year's big game probably seemed impossible for many advertisers, but this game truly delivered, especially for those who chose time slots towards the end of the game. TiVo is the only service that can release ratings based on actual viewer behavior, rather than surveys or after the fact polling," Juenger said.
"It is an insight that is unique to TiVo, one we can take advantage of not only for the Super Bowl, but throughout the year, benefiting ad agencies, TV networks, and brand customers alike," he said.
In the first half of the game action on the field was overshadowed by commercials, with four of the most rewound moments involving advertisements. The most viewed moment of the first half was the Doritos Crystal Ball spot, impressive considering it beat out James Harrison's record breaking interception return at the end of the half.
In the second half action intensified on the field, with the top-replayed moments all happening inside the hash marks. The most viewed moment was Santonio Holmes' tip-toe touchdown grab that gave the Steelers the lead in the final minute.
Despite more replays of game action, viewership increased in the fourth quarter enough that GoDaddy's spot earned more eyeballs than the Doritos ad of the first half.
This information was prepared using aggregated, anonymous, second-by-second audience measurement data about how TiVo subscribers watched the game, primarily which spots were rewound and watched again.
GoDaddy.com finally broke through this year, snatching the coveted crown from the E-Trade talking baby, which couldn't repeat this year despite similarly themed follow-up spots.
This is the first top ten finish for GoDaddy, infamous for a too-hot-for-TV campaign it has utilized the past couple Super Bowls. The Internet domain company apparently benefited from the game's dramatic finish, as their fourth quarter spot had far more viewership than the ad the company ran in the first quarter. And Bud Light does it again, this year another clear winner holding two of the top ten spots.
With unemployment rates rising from coast to coast, two job Websites cashed in on grabbing viewers' attention, with Careerbuilder.com claiming the number three slot and competitor Monster.com landing at number six. Doritos continues to ride a user-generated strategy to strong success, with this year's entrant earning a number four ranking.
Annual list occupants Bud Light, Pepsi and Coke held their own, with each brand occupying a piece of the top ten. First time Super Bowl advertiser Denny's cracked the top ten thanks to the last five seconds of the ad, in which the chain unveiled a free Grand Slam breakfast offer. Also, the movie preview for the upcoming Transformers sequel marks the first time a movie trailer landed on the TiVo top ten list since 2003 when both Universal Pictures Bruce Almighty and Sony Pictures - Charlie's Angels Full Throttle made the list.
Prior to the game much was made about 3-D advertisements, but consumers apparently didn't grab their 3-D glasses in time, as spots such as a preview for Monsters vs. Aliens fell well short of the pace, barely cracking the top fifty.
"This year TiVo viewers were in control of one of the greatest NFL games ever played, a perfect example of the power of pressing pause or rewind during a live-action event," said Todd Juenger, Vice President & General Manager, TiVo Audience Research and Measurement.
"Topping the drama and excitement of last year's big game probably seemed impossible for many advertisers, but this game truly delivered, especially for those who chose time slots towards the end of the game. TiVo is the only service that can release ratings based on actual viewer behavior, rather than surveys or after the fact polling," Juenger said.
"It is an insight that is unique to TiVo, one we can take advantage of not only for the Super Bowl, but throughout the year, benefiting ad agencies, TV networks, and brand customers alike," he said.
In the first half of the game action on the field was overshadowed by commercials, with four of the most rewound moments involving advertisements. The most viewed moment of the first half was the Doritos Crystal Ball spot, impressive considering it beat out James Harrison's record breaking interception return at the end of the half.
In the second half action intensified on the field, with the top-replayed moments all happening inside the hash marks. The most viewed moment was Santonio Holmes' tip-toe touchdown grab that gave the Steelers the lead in the final minute.
Despite more replays of game action, viewership increased in the fourth quarter enough that GoDaddy's spot earned more eyeballs than the Doritos ad of the first half.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
"I love this Guy!"
Armisen nails it again!
This man makes SNL complete. He also has a site of his own at Thunderant.com. He is so funny. He does a lot of the SNL Backstage Blog--which is pretty good. It shows how they apply the makeup and costumes for skits and some of the process it takes to make the show every week. Go to the NBC SNL site. I found it this way in a Google Seach.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Eight babies
I keep hearing comments about the woman who gave birth to eight babies. She already had six, used artificial insemination and now people are trippin.
She has a grand total of 14 kids and folk have lost their minds.
Did she ask you to babysit? Nope. Is she staying at your house? Nope.
That is why I am happy for her. If at 33 she wants to devote herself to her family, that is great. Not many women want to do that and if they do, they may not commit to 14 babies.
Her dad said that they have a huge house and I am thinking lots of money. He works in Iraq or Iran as a contractor.
I'm thinking that they are loaded! And guess what? I bet she gets pregnant again.
Leave her be. Someone has to be the momma!
She has a grand total of 14 kids and folk have lost their minds.
Did she ask you to babysit? Nope. Is she staying at your house? Nope.
That is why I am happy for her. If at 33 she wants to devote herself to her family, that is great. Not many women want to do that and if they do, they may not commit to 14 babies.
Her dad said that they have a huge house and I am thinking lots of money. He works in Iraq or Iran as a contractor.
I'm thinking that they are loaded! And guess what? I bet she gets pregnant again.
Leave her be. Someone has to be the momma!
Paintball Fun
The last time I played paintball, I got hit in the arm by apaintball sniper. I never saw it coming. I was ready to sit down anyway! I didn't realize how strenuous playing paintball could be.
I must admit, it was very fun. However, I think that I will upgrade my paintball gun for my next visit to the paintball arena. Everyone had really nice equipment that worked. They said they ordered it from Ultimate Paintball. No more used paintball equipment for me. Next time I will be the sniper with my Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, Spyder Pilot!
I must admit, it was very fun. However, I think that I will upgrade my paintball gun for my next visit to the paintball arena. Everyone had really nice equipment that worked. They said they ordered it from Ultimate Paintball. No more used paintball equipment for me. Next time I will be the sniper with my Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, Spyder Pilot!
Friday, January 30, 2009
White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families
There are many people who think change comes easy and that it was only a campaign slogan. There are those who focus on ideas other than those that will move us forward as a nation--like Rush Limbaugh and the like.
However, creating a the middle class task force for is a major initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America. It is comprised of top-level administration policy makers, and in addition to regular meetings, it will conduct outreach sessions with representatives of labor, business, and the advocacy communities.
Rush can't and won't do anything like that for his listeners--ever.
It seems the Obama Administration is moving away from "trickle down economics" where the lower classes may or may not get the help they need.
The Task Force will be chaired by Vice President Joe Biden. The Vice President and members of the task force will work with a wide array of federal agencies that have responsibility for key issues facing the middle class and expedite administrative reforms, propose Executive orders, and develop legislative and policy proposals that can be of special importance to working families.
Members of the Middle Class Task Force include: Vice President Biden, Chair; the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Commerce, as well as the Directors of the National Economic Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.
Goals of the task force:
Expanding education and lifelong training opportunities
Improving work and family balance
Restoring labor standards, including workplace safety
Helping to protect middle-class and working-family incomes
Protecting retirement security
We’d like to hear from you. Over the upcoming months, we will focus on answering those concerns that matter most to families. What can we do to make retirement more secure? How can we make child and elder care more affordable? How do we improve workplace safety? How are we going to get the cost of college within reach? What can we do to help weary parents juggle work and family? What are the jobs of the future that we can begin to create? Please share your story with us and give us ideas for how to get the middle class going again.
Transparency: The Task Force will operate in a transparent fashion, in an open, two-way dialogue directly with the American people. Any materials from meetings or reports produced will be made available to the public at www.AStrongMiddleClass.gov.
However, creating a the middle class task force for is a major initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America. It is comprised of top-level administration policy makers, and in addition to regular meetings, it will conduct outreach sessions with representatives of labor, business, and the advocacy communities.
Rush can't and won't do anything like that for his listeners--ever.
It seems the Obama Administration is moving away from "trickle down economics" where the lower classes may or may not get the help they need.
The Task Force will be chaired by Vice President Joe Biden. The Vice President and members of the task force will work with a wide array of federal agencies that have responsibility for key issues facing the middle class and expedite administrative reforms, propose Executive orders, and develop legislative and policy proposals that can be of special importance to working families.
Members of the Middle Class Task Force include: Vice President Biden, Chair; the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Commerce, as well as the Directors of the National Economic Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.
Goals of the task force:
Expanding education and lifelong training opportunities
Improving work and family balance
Restoring labor standards, including workplace safety
Helping to protect middle-class and working-family incomes
Protecting retirement security
We’d like to hear from you. Over the upcoming months, we will focus on answering those concerns that matter most to families. What can we do to make retirement more secure? How can we make child and elder care more affordable? How do we improve workplace safety? How are we going to get the cost of college within reach? What can we do to help weary parents juggle work and family? What are the jobs of the future that we can begin to create? Please share your story with us and give us ideas for how to get the middle class going again.
Transparency: The Task Force will operate in a transparent fashion, in an open, two-way dialogue directly with the American people. Any materials from meetings or reports produced will be made available to the public at www.AStrongMiddleClass.gov.
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