Archive for November 4th, 2008
NEW YORK — It’s election night, and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer is in New York talking to an Obama campaign strategist in Chicago.
But instead of the split screen or window TV viewers might typically see during live remote interviews, the Obama spokesperson will be projected as a three-dimensional hologram, making it appear as if he or she is in the Manhattan studio with Blitzer. The network plans to conduct similar holographic interviews with representatives from the McCain campaign in Phoenix.
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November 4th, 2008
Exactly two years ago, SurveyUSA completed interviews with 600 voters in every state (30,000 total interviews), asking them how they would vote in a 2008 Presidential Election between John McCain and Barack Obama. Based on those interviews, SurveyUSA was able to report that:
In November 2006, Obama carried …
- His home state of Illinois.
- His birth state of Hawaii.
- The District of Columbia.
In November 2006, Obama got 28 total electoral votes.
In November 2006, John McCain carried 48 states, and rolled up 510 electoral votes.
How far has Barack Obama come in 24 months?
We’ll know for sure Tuesday night.
Link
Makes you wonder who we as a nation don’t know now will make an appearance in 2012.
November 4th, 2008
Jeff Yeager’s wife, Denise, knows better than anyone how frugal her husband can be. This is a man who soft-boils his eggs in the dishwasher (with the dirty dishes), funnels box wine into premium-label bottles and serves it to dinner guests, and has even attempted to make a sweater out of dryer lint. For most of the couple’s 24 years of marriage—or “three-and-a-half good years,” as Denise jokes—her hubby’s miserly ways were familiar only to family and friends. Then Today show host Matt Lauer referred to Yeager, 50, as the “ultimate cheapskate,” and he became known to millions as the cheapest man in America.
Now our “Commander in Cheap” has written a book—”The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches: A Practical (and Fun) Guide to Enjoying Life by Spending Less” (Broadway)—in which he unabashedly reveals many of his quirky, money-saving tips. While the book’s tone is lighthearted, Yeager’s underlying message—that Americans would enjoy life a lot more if they learned to spend and consume less—is decidedly serious.
Failure spoke to Yeager at his Accokeek, Maryland, home to gain further insight into his less-is-more approach to personal finance. Among other things, we discussed his concept of “fiscal fasting,” why he chose to do his book tour by bicycle, and whether he’ll change his lifestyle if he becomes a wealthy, successful author.
Link
November 4th, 2008
Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young and his wife Barbara have posted yard signs in front of their Palo Alto home urging voters to vote no on Proposition 8, the state ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage.
Barbara Young has also donated about $50,000 to defeat the measure, and says in a statement that the family does not believe in discrimination and “therefore our family will vote against Prop. 8.”
Steve Young, a prominent Mormon, has not taken a public position on Prop. 8 himself.
The Mormon Church has donated much money to the “Yes on 8″ campaign.
Young wouldn’t be the only Bay Area sports legend to weigh in on Prop. 8. Former San Francisco Giant Jeff Kent — who now plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers — has donated $15,000 to the campaign to ban gay marriage.
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It will be interesting to see how this plays out considering that Steve Young himself is the great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS and for whom BYU was name. You may recall that the creator of Mormon beefcake calender was excommunicated from the church.
November 4th, 2008
“I love you, mum: First words of brain-damaged girl, 6, given power of speech by laser which tracks her eye movements”
A severely handicapped little girl who cannot walk or talk has used a machine to tell her mother for the first time: ‘I love you.’
Six-year-old Elke Wisbey, who was born brain-damaged, has been able to communicate with her family by using a high-tech gadget which tracks her eye movements.
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November 4th, 2008
Last week I made a post about a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary professor calling the use of birth control pills murder.
This week editor Marv Knox of the Baptist Standard writes how he disagrees with that notion and how men should consider getting a vasectomy.
Link
November 4th, 2008
Larger pics here
I think it will be interesting to compare these maps to the Electoral College map, once it’s completed tonight.
November 4th, 2008
A lot of people have been talking about how dead on FiveThirtyEight.com has been in the past, so I’m interested to see what they have projected on Nov 3rd will turn out once all the votes are tallied.
November 4th, 2008
This map shows each state re-sized in proportion to the relative influence of the individual voters who live there. The numbers indicate the total delegates to the Electoral College from each state, and how many eligible voters a single delegate from each state represents.
Link
November 4th, 2008
HARRIMAN, Tenn. – Ken Mink, a 73-year-old full-time student, scored two points Monday night in Roane State Community College’s 93-42 victory over King College’s junior varsity. Mink entered the game with about 16 minutes left in the second half and attempted one shot in about three minutes. Seven minutes later, he went back in the game, was fouled and made two free throws.
“I found myself on the free-throw line 52 years after my last college game,” Mink said. “I said, ‘Just relax and shoot it like you know how to all day long.’ I just floated the shots in there. I’m in the books now. I can relax a little bit.”
Mink, of Knoxville, last played college basketball 52 years ago at Lees College in Jackson, Ky. After someone soaped the basketball coach’s office, he lost his spot on the team and was expelled. Mink still says he didn’t do it.
Last year, after shooting baskets at a neighbor’s house, he wrote to several area colleges, and Roane State coach Randy Nesbit agreed to give him a chance. Mink has practiced regularly with the team since school began in August.
Article
November 4th, 2008
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Grinnell mother said Sunday that her son’s vote shouldn’t be counted and she intends to challenge his vote.
Brenda Lyddon said her son, Christopher Willis, 26, is developmentally delayed. He lives at the CIRSI group home in Grinnell, an assisted living home for people with developmental disabilities.
Lyddon said he son should never have voted because he has the mind of a 7-year-old.
“He cannot read. He can barely write and so he could never even read a ballot. He couldn’t tell you who’s on there. He couldn’t tell you who’s running — vice president, local, congressional, nothing,” said Lyddon.
Willis told KCCI’s Ryan Luby that he voted for Sen. Barack Obama. When Luby asked who was running for president this year, Willis answered “Barack Obama and John McCain.”
When asked which parties the candidates represented, Willis said “John McCain is with Democrat party.” He couldn’t identify which party Obama represented.
“I have never registered him because I don’t feel he can make his own decision and he can’t and he’s easily influenced,” said Lyddon.
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November 4th, 2008
- I think something important is going to happen today, but I just can’t remember what that something is.
- Mouse on frog. Link
- While reading Monday Morning Quarterback yesterday I learned that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick use to dress up as his idol Roger Staubach as a kid.
- Speaking of MMQB, I was touched reading the Good Guy of the Week section about former Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly inititive for universal newborn screening. As a hopeful oneday parent, this news interests me. I may have to write my congressman to help support the inititive. You can learn more about the cause he is fighting for here.
- I been thinking a lot about the Atlanta Falcons as of late. In a weird sort of way, they were cruxified (Vick and the dogfighting), buried (last season overall and their head coach quitting during the season), and have been born again. I know they only played Oakland last week, but I like what I’m seeing. If anything, this team feels like it has momentum.
- James Dobson had a change of heart and decided to vote for McCain after all. Link
- Life can be frustrating. I have a friend that thinks he’s funny and he keeps hounding me about little things that make me, me. I can take some ribbing, but when it goes on and on it just gets frustrating. Recently he said something and I came back and teased him harder than normal and he took offense to it, so I apologized and stated my frustration, but the apology evidently didn’t matter as his anger carried over to the weekend and he’s not being friendly. I feel like I should address the issue or apologize again even though I don’t think what I said was really that bad, but then again that could be seen as pushing the envelope and I think I’ve already done my due diligence by apologizing. I guess it’s one of those things where time heals all wounds. But sometimes I wished I was calloused enough to not even care.
- Yankee Doodle Dandy now makes total sense. Link
- Frustration-Free Packaging from Amazon.com. Link
- I studied this Comparison Chart of Beliefs of Christian Denominations for about two hours yesterday. I plan on digging into these charts later in the week. I think I’ve discovered a denomination where I would feel pretty darn comfortable being associated with, yet I have never worshiped in that kind of church. With all that said, I’m still attached to my current church and not comfortable sharing any more than that as of right now.
- If you are interested in watching the end of the winning Southwest Airlines Halloween skit just click here. It was based off Mama Mia.
- The cheapest care in the U.S. will be the Nissan Versa at $10,685. Link
- “How I Met Your Mother” is a fun show. I could sing that intro song all day.
- I have never eaten candy corn nor do I have a desire to ever try it.
- I saw that Anthony Edwards is going to make a guest appearance on ER. I thought he said when they killed off the character he had no interest in returning, even in a dream sequence.
- Has anyone seen that Treximet commercial? You can watch it here, I’m sure it will keep the kids up at night.
November 4th, 2008