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Just Plain Cool

Charity Begins At Home

President Obama received $1.4 milllion in prize money for winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year. While we'd probably blow the whole thing on iPhone apps and Mad Men Barbies, POTUS selected ten charities and divvied it all up among them. Among the chosen charities: The Bush-Clinton Haiti Fund ($200K), the Fisher House to benefit veterans' families ($250K), the Hispanic College Fund ($125K) and The Posse Foundation which finds public high school students with great potential but who may be overlooked by the traditional college selection process ($125K). Click the link to see the rest of the list. [Washington Post]

Tags: potus, charity, nobel peace prize

Health & Wellness

Source: flickr/thomashawkr

It’s 3PM - Do You Know What Your Kids Are Huffing?

This afternoon in "Why We're Terrified Of Today's Tweens" news, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a new report on how the precious little snowflakes are getting wasted. According to the survey, more 12-year-olds in the U.S. "get high by sniffing inhalants than by using marijuana, cocaine or hallucinogens combined." That's right, the kids are inhaling "refrigerant from air conditioning units, aerosol computer cleaners, shoe polish, glue, air fresheners, hair sprays, nail polish, paint solvents, degreasers, gasoline and lighter fluids" to catch a buzz, unaware that "huffing" can kill them, destroy their organs, or at least damage their brains to the point they suffer from uncontrollable limb spasms and/or dementia. [CBS News]

Tags: drugs, teens

Just Plain Cool

Source: flickr/aaronlandrey

Netroots Nation

Bloggers of the world, rejoice! Sen. Al Franken (D., MN), who transitioned from funny radio talker to serious lawmaker in front of our very eyes, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Netroots Nation, the huge conference for progressive bloggers. The event is happening July 22-25 in Las Vegas and tickets are still available. [Politico]

Tags: blogs

Safe, Sound, Secure

Big Old Jet Airliner

The Government Accountability Office just finished their audit into the project to build a fleet of new Joint Strike Fighter jets...and the news isn't good. GAO top analyst Michael Sullivan testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the contract with Lockheed Martin is way over budget and way behind schedule, which means there is a "substantial risk" there won't be as many jets as promised and they won't be delivered on time. (The "cost of the program has increased $46 billion over the 2007 baseline of $276.5 billion and that development is 2 1/2 years behind schedule.") [Washington Post]

Tags: jets, defense contractors

Full-Court Press

Source: flickr/kevindooley

In God We Trust

Plus we've already memorized the thing...: A federal appeals court in San Francisco said it's fine to say "under God" in the Pledge and to keep "In God We Trust" on our money because, honestly, at this point "the phrase is ceremonial and patriotic, not religious" and thus doesn't violate the separation of church and state. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Tags: church and state, courts

Just Plain Cool

NEWSFLASH: Men Love Sex

Tell me something I didn't know!  Men want sex until they’re almost dead. That’s what British researchers concluded after "discovering" that men are more interested in sex than women. Seems like this one could have been a pretty short study.  And now we have scientific evidence for the "creepy old man," the disparity between genders only increases over time. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]

Tags: sex

Safe, Sound, Secure

What Money?

Here comes a flashback - the State Department is failing to properly oversee nearly $2 billion in contracts to battle the drug trade, build infrastructure and train police in Afghanistan, according to a bluntly worded internal assessment.  De ja vu?  Didn't we read about this with another war?

The report by the department's inspector general questions whether the U.S. will be able to stabilize the country in time to meet President Obama's goal of withdrawing some troops by June 2011. [USA Today]

Tags: afghanistan, budget, contractors, money

Just Plain Cool

Source: flickr/split-milk

Finger Food

Remeber that lady who pretended she found a finger in our Wendy's chili and sued?  She's spilling the beans, now (sort of a pun, right?)  The woman says she paid $100 for the ring finger and cooked it in a pot of her own chili to get it to the correct temperature and texture; Wendy’s estimates they lost over $21 million in business over the fraud. The 41-year-old woman is now out of jail and says part of her parole includes a lifetime ban from the fast food chain. [San Jose Mercury News]

Tags: prisons

Political Junkie

Big Brother in the Dairy Section

How cool/creepy is this?  The CDC has a new way to track food-borne illnesses: your customer loyalty cards. Because the cards track all purchases by customers at the particular chains, the agency was able to trace a recent outbreak of salmonella by looking at the sales records. Some consumer advocates say they worry that the CDC’s successful detective work could make such cards mandatory in the check-out lane.  We say why wouldn't you want to get to the end of your scanning and then see all the savings tick off one after the other? [Star Tribune]

Tags: surveillance

Political Junkie

POLITICAL RED CARPET

Tags: president, veterans, white house

Money Money Money

PUSHBACK FROM MAIN ST.

In the aftermath of the bank bailout and bonus debacle, a majority of Americans want tougher regulations on Wall Street, according to a new poll. The new Harris poll released today suggest that 82 percent of Americans want the government to "clamp down more strongly on Wall Street excesses, with a particular emphasis on bonus schemes." However, the poll did find that the U.S. public does see value in Wall Street itself: nearly 60 percent say the financial sector is an essential benefit to the country.

Tags: banking, finance

The Global Scene

Source: flickr/venetia joubert sarah

CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE

On Thursday, the Red Cross announced that nearly 2.17 million people in Zimbabwe need food aid. Figures are expected to rise because of a poor harvest this year , that has declared at least 11 percent of the country's staple maize crop "a complete write-off" because of poor rains. The Red Cross aims to feed 222,000 people and has extended its emergency food operation from December 2009 until October this year. [AFP]

Tags: humanitarian aid, africa

Just Plain Cool

Source: USGov/USGov

WHEN ARI MET TIGER?

According to two sources, Ari Fleischer, the former spokesman to former President George W. Bush, has been "huddling" with Tiger Woods,  helping the golfer plot "a strategy for his return to golf -- at the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting March 25 at Bay Hill in Orlando." The duo has definitely grown close: According to one source, Tiger and Ari were spotted "in his living room this week going over a strategy for how to handle Bay Hill in two weeks." Only time will tell. [Political Wire]

Tags: sports, bush

Just Plain Cool

SAFETY PAYS ON THE HIGHWAY

There's good news for highway drivers: U.S. highway deaths have fallen to their lowest levels since 1954, declining nearly 9 percent in 2009, to 33,963.  In 2008, an estimated 37,261 people died on the highway. Highway deaths have dropped steadily since 2005, when an estimated 43,510 people were killed. [USA T]

Tags: informational studies and reports

Political Junkie

Mitt’s Bestseller

Mitt Romney's new book, "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness," will debut on top of the New York Times bestseller list due out March 21 according to a source. So far, his book tour has attracted large crowds, sometimes over 1,000. While not on par with Sarah Palin's book tours, Romney supporters are taking the tour numbers as a sign that he's a figure of genuine popular interest. [Politico]

Tags: republican

And Justice For All

Backing Down

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) was for removing rights and protections from LGBT workers...until he got caught up in a firestorm of negative press. First, the governor removed all legal protections for LGBT state employees. Then, the Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, tried to strip protections for LGBT students from all state colleges and university non-discrimination policies, a policy which Gov. McDonnell said he supported. Many college students protested, local and national new outlets broadcast the story, and now Gov. McDonnell has issued a new directive, publicly distancing himself from the effort. Let's clear this up guys: LGBT Virginians are equal citizens, and should be protected under the law. [Wonk Room]

Tags: lgbt

Green Is Good

Believing in Global Warming

...or not, as the case may be. A new Gallup poll found that 48% of Americans now believe that the seriousness of global warming is "generally exaggerated," up from 41% in 2009 and 31% in 1997, when Gallup first asked the question. [Gallup]

Tags: climate change

Right Wing Wackiness

Representative Paul Ryan

Quote of the Day

"It’s difficult to design a tax plan that will lose $2 trillion over a decade even while requiring 90 percent of taxpayers to pay more. But Congressman Ryan has met that daunting challenge".--Citizens for Tax Justice report. [The Atlantic]  Ed note: the rich would overwhelmingly benefit from Ryan’s tax cuts. By 2014 people making in excess of $1 million-a-year would enjoy an average tax cut of more than $600,000. To put it another way, their after-tax income would rise by nearly 30 percent.

Tags: taxes

Source: flickr/jwpacifist

Thursday, March 11

White House

11:15 AM: POTUS addresses the Export-Import Bank's Annual Conference to discuss his commitment to doubling exports in five years
1:45 PM: POTUS meets with members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
3PM: POTUS meets with Sens. Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham.
6:20PM: POTUS meets with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

On The Hill

10AM: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee - hearing on "A Fair Share for All: Pay Equity in the New American Workplace."
10AM: Senate Energy Committee hearing on Energy Efficiency Jobs

Other Cool Stuff

12:15: Elizabeth Warren, the chair of the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel, delivers a speech on regulatory reform at the New America Foundation, Washington, DC
Jimmy Fallon: Michael Moore
Stewart : Eamon Javers, author, Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The Secret World of Corporate Espionage
Colbert: David Aaronovitch, author, Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History

Fun Time Waster To Start Your Day

Have you seen this yet? Sign in with your Facebook account and you can put yourself on Glenn Beck's blackboard. Way too much fun. http://bit.ly/anreeU

Tags:

Health & Wellness

Source: flickr/scottobear

Limbaugh Loves Universal Health Care

Sigh. Cancel your crabcakes order with the caterer and shelve the champagne back in the fridge - the Bon Voyage Rush party is canceled. Yesterday, we were all abuzz after Rush Limbaugh announced that, if health care reform passed, he was going to Costa Rica. Today he backtracked, saying he didn't mean he was moving there, just that he'd go there for his health care. Why this is amusing: Costa Rica has Universal Health Care that covers everying, in part with help from their government which actually owns hospitals and clinics. And most Costa Ricans get their health care coverage through a plan called the Caja - which is very similar to, you guessed it, the public option. [ThinkProgress]

Tags: health care reform, rush limbaugh

Money Money Money

Whatta Crock, Corker

Today's Moral Hangover of the Day Award goes to Sen. Bob Corker, the conservative lawmaker from Tennessee. Sen. Corker is the lynchpin to coming up with a bipartisan agreement on new financial regulations. He's also the guy who fought to remove regulations aimed at predatory lenders, the so-called payday lenders, which make money by charging 400% interest on short-term, high interest loans aimed at low-income Americans and our military. The New York Times reports Corker, surprise, surprise, gets a lot of campaign dough from these neighborhood loan sharks, though he denies that influenced his decision to kill legislation that would regulate them. [NYT]

Tags: campaign finance reform, predatory loans

Political Junkie

Cut It Out

The House of Representatives yesterday voted to outlaw misleading fundraising mailers (you know, like the ones that appeared to be official documents from the U.S. Census but really were fundraising letters from Michael Steele and the RNC). And who says there's no bipartisanship in DC these days - this measure passed 416-0. [MSNBC]

Tags: rnc

Over The Rainbow

Source: flickr/foundphotoslj

Canceling Prom

Rather than let a lesbian couple attend their prom together, the the Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Mississippi canceled the event for all students. The school went on to say, "It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors." A private event wouldn't be subject to the same legal standards (like equality for everyone) as the public school. [Clarion Ledger]

Tags: lgbt, prom

Star Gazing

Source: flickr/wojciech.felendzerr

Anna Nicole, The Opera

Move over, Figaro, there's a new opera in town. Mark your calendars for next February 17 for the Royal Opera's debut of their new performance of..."Anna Nicole, The Opera." The opera will star Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek  in the role of the former Playboy model. [CBS News]

Tags: opera

Right Wing Wackiness

Budget Roadmap to Nowhere

So, as for that Republican “budget roadmap...” As it turns out, not only does it call for sharp cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense, and all other government programs combined with privatization of Medicare so that a larger share of your diminished benefit goes to for-profit insurance companies, apparently when the Center for Tax Justice (PDF) ran the numbers, they discovered that most Americans will pay higher taxes under Ryan’s plan than under Obama’s. Only the very richest will pay less. [Yglesias]

Tags: economy, budget, taxes, republicans

Just Plain Cool

Shut Up and Do Your Work

Apparently, if you were born after 1980, your sense of entitlement is making baby-boomer employers CRAZY!

But we'll blame your parents for giving you that 9th-place trophy for that basketball tournament in 4th grade. [Wall Street Journal]

Tags: jobs

Political Junkie

What Filibuster?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pledged on Wednesday to take a serious look at revising the filibuster rules at the beginning of the next Congress, calling the current level of obstruction in the Senate unacceptable.

In a reflection of the party's commitment to changing the parliamentary rules, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) followed the majority leader by saying that his committee would address the topic soon. [Huffington Post]

Tags: congress

Health & Wellness

Source: flickr/italintheheart

The Bottom Line on Health Care Reform

With the constant back-and-forth on health care, it's easy to lose perspective when gauging what the public really wants.  So, plain and simple, no matter what, the American people want a change: A new a new Associated Press-GfK Poll finds that only 4 percent say it the current health care system shouldn't be changed at all. [Associated Press via Huffington Post]

Tags: health care reform, poll

Money Money Money

Source: flickr/Tracey O

BILLIONS UNCLAIMED

Were you one of the 1.4 million people who didn’t file a tax return in 2006? Then, the IRS may owe you money. According to a new report, the IRS says it has more than $1.3 billion in refunds for 1.4 million people who didn't file a 2006 return. The money will become the property of the U.S. Treasury if those due money don’t file a claim by April 15. [CNN]

Tags: irs, tax reform

Just Plain Cool

Source: wikicommons/wiki

WHEN I GET THAT FEELING…

Women may have a longer lifespan on average than men, but a new survey found that men may outlive women sexually. According to the study, men have an average of 15 years of sexual activity left at the age of 55, while women average just 10 years. "Overall, men were more likely than women to be sexually active, to report a good quality sex life, and to be interested and thinking about sex on a regular basis," lead researcher Stacy Tessler Lindau, director of the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine at the University of Chicago, told LiveScience. We guess this explains Hugh Hefner's lifestyle. [Fox News]

Tags: informational studies and reports

Health & Wellness

CUTTING DOWN ON WASTE AND ABUSE

Today, the White House is set to announce an initiative to cut down on Medicare and Medicaid abuse. President Obama will deliver remarks on health insurance reform in St. Charles, Mo., and will discuss new efforts to get back taxpayer dollars through the use of payment recapture audits. White House officials say that expanded use of payment recapture audits "could return at least $2 billion in taxpayer money over the next three years — double the current amount of projected recovered costs.” [Politico]

Tags: medicaid, medicare

Safe, Sound, Secure

NO-FLY LIST DOUBLES

Since the arrest of Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab in December of 2009 , the no-fly list has nearly doubled from about 3,400 people to about 6,000 people, according to a senior intelligence official. Part of the reason the list was expanded was to add people associated with al-Qaeda's Yemen branch and others from Yemen and Nigeria with ties to Abdulmuttalab. The no-fly list has remained one of the government's most public counterterrorism tools since the September 11th attacks in 2001. [USA T]

Tags: homeland security