Newsweek’s Idea of a Moderate Democrat: Liberal North Dakota Congressman with Single-Digit ACU Score in 2009
October 26, 2010 No Comment
Newsweek — the floundering weekly news magazine that was recently sold for the princely sum of $1.00 — apparently assigns a pretty low value on the intelligence of its readers. Take yesterday's online article by David Graham on the reelection campaign of the at-large congressman for North Dakota: “Meet Earl Pomeroy, the Moderate Democrat Touting His Health-Reform Vote.” “Can one Blue Dog’s unorthodox ad strategy localize his election and head off the demise of another incumbent?” asked the subheadline. Of course, both the moderate and Blue Dog tags bring to mind a Democrat that perhaps agrees with the liberal leadership of his party about half of the time, but is fairly independent and conservative-minded on a whole host of issues. Trouble is, this is precisely what Pomeroy is not, according to both the liberal Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) and the American Conservative Union (ACU). read more
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Image: Flickr via hellochris Why New Yorkers continue to drink bottled water is a mystery. Its quality has been praised all over the place, but that praise has just reached new heights: restaurants in Florida dueling over technology to replicate it. The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. in Delray Beach has accused Mamma Mia’s Trattoria & Brick Oven Pizzeria in Lake Worth of stealing technology it developed to “Brooklynize” its water, the
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Photo: Kelly Rossiter Unlike yesterdays post on Hen of the Woods mushrooms , chanterelles are a well known ingredient. They aren’t available for very long, so if you find them at your farmers’ market, don’t miss the opportunity to eat them. I guess it’s just as well that you can’t get them often, because they are a bit pricey, so you can justify buying yourself a little treat when you see them…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Spinning Election Night will be as important to the Dems as the actual results: With Election Day still a week away, Democrats are previewing what promises to be a main line of argument if Republicans make strong gains in Congress: Conservatives bought their way to power with a flood of spending by outside groups. These post-mortems, made before the patient is actually dead, have slipped into public statements from top Democrats in recent days. And the argument is being made even more strongly in not-for-attribution comments to reporters from party operatives: A tough-but-manageable political climate turned much more lethal with the infusion of tens of millions of dollars from anonymous donors funding ads for right-leaning independent groups. The denunciations of outside money by President Barack Obama and others began as a tool to rally the Democratic base before the Nov. 2 election. But in recent days it has morphed gradually into something else: A main talking point to explain—and fend off the recriminations over—what many Washington Democrats assume will be a brutal election night. Voters aren’t going to care about the money issue. They didn’t care when Obama spent $700 million, much of it in untraceable money, to win in 2008. And they don’t seem to care when unions spend tens of millions promoting Democrats every cycle.
Continue reading …Vodafone Australia creates giant Android mascot, sets it free on the streets of Sydney
October 26, 2010 No Comment
In the States it’s almost voting time and the posturing has certainly come to a fever pitch. If someone hasn’t come a knocking on your door yet, promising to fix whatever ails you, they surely soon will. So, it’s nice to see a representative going door-to-door without an ulterior motive… well, without a political one, anyway. Meet Andy, the full-scale Android mascot who can be found wandering the streets of Sydney in an attempt by Vodafone to get people more familiar with the little OS that could ( and is ). We’re thinking he’s more likely to scare small children than create converts out of competing smartphone users, but maybe our pollsters are reading this one wrong. [Thanks, Geoff] Vodafone Australia creates giant Android mascot, sets it free on the streets of Sydney originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nokia Siemens Networks sees 825Mbps over traditional copper, Phantom DSL claims ‘the future’
October 26, 2010 No Comment
Look, it’s not easy nor cheap to lay an entirely new network infrastructure — just ask Verizon . Regardless of how badly we all want a fiber optic cable ran directly into our closet, it’s probably in our best interest if companies like Nokia Siemens Networks continue to improve existing services. Since we’re on the topic, it’s probably prudent to point out a new discovery surrounding existing copper wires — one that involves data transmissions at up to 825Mbps. As the story goes, NSN is testing new technology (let’s call it Phantom DSL) that could dramatically increase capacity of conventional copper wires, with the aforesaid data point coming on a trial transfer across 400 meters of wire; when stretched to 500 meters, it still held steady at 750Mbps. We’re told that Phantom DSL promises a bandwidth increase of 50 to 75 percent over existing bonded copper lines, but mum’s the word on when ISPs will actually have access. Yesterday, please? Continue reading Nokia Siemens Networks sees 825Mbps over traditional copper, Phantom DSL claims ‘the future’ Nokia Siemens Networks sees 825Mbps over traditional copper, Phantom DSL claims ‘the future’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …We’ve managed to get through the Atlantic hurricane season with a landfalling hurricane on U.S. soil, but today there’s the equivalent of a hurricane forming over the upper Midwest : Low pressure continues to deepen as it moves slowly northward through Minnesota today. By early this evening the pressure of the storm is forecast to be almost as low as Hurricane Karl at its peak intensity. Fortunately the winds, while strong, are not forecast to reach hurricane force, however, they should cover a very large area in the Midwest today. Sustained winds of 20 to 40 mph and gusts of 40 to 60 mph are forecast in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, northern Kansas, northern Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, northern Indiana and northern Illinois. Winds may gust close to 70 mph along the shores of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and northern Lake Huron. A squall line of severe thunderstorms is expected along the cold front extending from the storm. The thunderstorms should be in eastern Wisconsin, western Michigan, western Indiana, eastern Illinois, southeastern Missouri and western Kentucky this morning. By early this evening the squall line should race to eastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. Damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes are possible with the storms. Minnesota is expected to set new all-time low pressure records today, with pressures lower than this year’s Hurricanes Otto, Paula, Richard and Lisa. I wouldn’t want to be flying anywhere today, and especially not into Minneapolis.
Continue reading …NY Times Reveals ‘Disturbing First Glimpse’ of Bullhorn, Saddam Pistol at Bush Presidential Center
October 26, 2010 No Comment
Toronto Election News I previously reported on the Toronto election that Bikes and Streetcars Are Under Threat As The Suburban Car Loving Politicians Fight Back . Last night, Rob Ford was elected in a landslide as mayor of the largest city in Canada. Voters came out in droves (highest turnout in years) to elect the “respect for taxpayers” man who will end frills and cut back on government. The first tax to go will be the auto registration tax brought in by the last mayor, and seen as a direct attack on the car. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photo: Thread Den Sewing Lounge Just as community gardens all over are bringing together urban gardeners, there’s an updated version of the old-fashioned sewing circle popping up in many city neighbourhoods: the sewing lounge. With crafting and the DIY mentality making a huge comeback, activities like sewing and knitting are moving out of the home and onto the streets. So the sewing lounge is where newbies and long-time enthusiasts alike can find common ground — plus learn some new tricks. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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