How the Map Looked Exactly 2 Years Ago

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 …

  1. His home state of Illinois.
  2. His birth state of Hawaii.
  3. 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.

Posted in Interesting, Political | 1 Comment

A Conversation With The Cheapest Man in America

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

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Steve Young, Gay Marriage, and the Mormon Church

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.

Article

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.

Posted in Political, Pop Culture, Sports | 5 Comments