Category Archives: Business
What is it about tattooed people? A disdain for their skin?
After yesterday’s piece on the results of the man with the a Romney tattoo on his head, this bunch of tattoos popped up on the web (can you believe it?!):
So it doesn’t matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, if you have the amazing need to defile yourself as a party poster, you fall into a category of folks that is beyond my understanding, not that I am fond of the current trend to cover yourself with all kinds of tattoos at all.
Related articles
- Harry Styles continues colouring in his naked body with another tattoo (mirror.co.uk)
- Harry Styles Tweets Photo Of His New Tattoos! (lukewilliamsgossip.wordpress.com)
- Tat’s my baby! (nypost.com)
- scarlett johansson horseshoe tattoo (thesun.co.uk)
Looks like I’m on a revised schedule and a doctor change for brain surgery…
My wife, daughter and my son (who just came in from Wisconsin to see me) have just returned from a long morning and early afternoon in Georgetown (northern DC) where we have been at the hospital and physicians‘ center at the University.
It now seems that this is where everything will take place with the actual surgery one week from today. Tuesday we’ll have to go down again for more testing.
My new doctor comes with a very fine reputation and many years of experience. The hospital is one of the best rated in the country (something the Hagerstown hospital was far from) and it looks like they know what to do. The results of the surgery will take out part of the tumor, discover what kind it is and whether it needs chemotherapy, radiation or both. Then I will have an idea of how much living I will be able to expect… realizing that there is no 100% cure here.
Me and my brain. So this is what it looks like!
I now have much more need to research the idea of a brain tumor and how it will continue to effect my life. When you are 66 and facing something major like this in your head, it is also concerning how much life there will continue to be to effect.
I can, however, do my radio show tomorrow morning on WSHC, Shepherdstown. If you aren’t in our 50 mile radius for 89.7 FM, go HERE and listen live on line. Tomorrow I’ll be on from 10:30 to 12:00 ET and I look forward to calls and requests (and I think my daughter Cassandra is going to do the show with me.)
Hope you all had a better day than I did. – Bill
(thanks to my daughter, Cassandra Corrigan, for the photo.)
Related articles
- Brain Cancer Chemotherapy (cancercenter.com)
- Brain Cancer Grading (cancercenter.com)
- Patients With Deadliest Of Brain Cancers Benefit From Repeated Surgeries (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Five Early Symptoms of Brain Tumor (healthybodylife.com)
- Helping M.D.s Help Brain-Tumor Patients (research.microsoft.com)
A day of celebration underscored by personal madness…
AT 4:30 this morning when I posted Obama‘s win I had had 2 1/2 hours of sleep and needed to be up by five to drive to Hagerstown for the first of five different scheduled lab visits, Doctor conferences, and tests based on the notion that I’d be in surgery with my little brain on Friday.
Then, in the middle of all this, as my wife and I went from office to office (I had fasted for close to 11 hours because of one of the tests… so tired AND hungry) trying to get our neurosurgeon on the telephone to find out the results of yesterday’s testing, we were told the surgery would be moved to Monday from Friday!
Well, you’ve never heard anyone yell as loudly into a cell phone as Elly did to one of the front desk ladies at the Doctors‘ office who informed us of this unannounced time change. You have to understand, she takes time off from her work at the College to take me to these appointments and she manages our schedules and expenses, and she expects that professionals follow professional guidelines and maintain their schedules. They don’t.
There is a chance that they may not be able to do the surgery Monday, either, or that my wife will insist that we find another doctor (my daughters, I think, agree with that, too… I’m to worn out and dizzy to even think about it now. I’ll do what they say.)
So, if there is no surgery Friday, we will probably be headed to Georgetown ( 2 hours away) to 
interview another neurological practice. If that does happen, I’ll probably be able to do my Saturday morning radio show on WSHC.
There is Joy In Mudville, though… Mighty Mitty has struck out. If you heard that snivelling concession speech he made (gracefulness is not a Republican skill) at 1:30 in the morning, then you have an idea of what kind of president he would have made.
Now we still have the House of Representatives with a big margin for the Repubs and John Boehner which will let them trample the legislation we need for the economy, for single payer healthcare, for rebuilding our country and for getting out of all this war. I’m afraid it will be a difficult 4 years. Our support for the president will help get things done.
It will be one of the functions of this blog as long as I can keep it going.
– Bill
Related articles
- Hey radio fans… we have a special schedule today due to football season: (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- Getting this election over with is becoming an evening of sheer misery… (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- Finding something to do to keep from going mad! (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- The Republican John Boehner Beats Obama to Backing A Grand Bargain (arshadparvez.wordpress.com)
How do the candidates stand on America’s energy future? Here’s a radio piece from NCR
Energy policy, defining how we use energy to power our economy and our lives, is among the most pressing issues for the next four years. In this special edition of BURN, stories about the power of one: how, in this election season, a single person, place, policy or idea can — with a boost from science — affect the nation’s search for greater energy independence.
Tell Mitt Romney: Climate Change Isn’t A Joke
Much of the nation is reeling from Superstorm Sandy. As families rebuild from Sandy’s destruction, our thoughts are with the victims of this horrific, fossil-fueled storm.
When Gov. Mitt Romney made climate change a punch line at the Republican National Convention, he mocked a real threat to the lives of Americans.
We can’t let Mitt get away with his laughing dismissal of the threat of rising seas caused by the carbon polluters who fund his campaign. Share this ad with friends and family to tell Romney: climate change isn’t a joke.
Ref: Three Ways Climate Change Made Hurricane Sandy Worse
Thanks to Climate Silence.org.
Employment growth picks up in October with addition of 171,000 jobs
Today the Government released the October Labor Statistics and we see that employers have added a 
larger-than-expected 171,000 jobs in October across a broad spectrum of businesses. In this, the final snapshot of the economy before election day, we have an interesting picture of job growth… more than double what it was in September.
Unfortunately, the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 7.9% from 7.8% in September. This was because more people jumped back into the labor market, including a very large group of 18-year old first time workers. This, of course, is a positive sign that workers may be feeling more confident about their job prospects.
The new Labor Department report, which also revised sharply higher job growth in September and August, may give a boost to President Obama, who continues with a slow but positive economic growth. There is still enough information for the undecided to support Obama who has kept us going even though Mitch McConnell and his Republicans have worked overtime to keep Obama’s Job Creation proposals and other forward moving activities from passing or getting any Congressional support. It’s interesting that Obama has gotten as far as he has… and it is even more interesting how little the Republicans have been concerned with helping to relieve our economy.
Related articles
- US economy adds 171,000 jobs (bigpondnews.com)
- Economy adds 171,000 jobs in October (bostonherald.com)
- US economy adds 171,000 new jobs (bbc.co.uk)
- U.S. Adds 171K Jobs In October: What It Means For Obama And Romney (forbes.com)
- October jobless rate is 7.9 percent: 171,000 jobs created. Good news for Obama (blogs.suntimes.com)
- Job Growth Better Than Expected Last Month (politicalwire.com)
- SPECIAL REPORT: “171 Thousand Jobs Added in Last Jobs Report Before Election, Unemployment Rate 7.9%” (marketsnacks.com)
Realizing how much I have come to depend on my wonderful Superfocus glasses.
For the last few weeks I have been wearing my new Superfocus Leonardos, the new Italian design frames for the amazing focusable glasses I discovered a couple of years ago.
My original pair is a very modernist design called Bauhaus. My wife was so impressed with them that she bought a pair as well.
People are always asking “Where do you get those glasses?” and we give people the source and refer them to the Superfocus web site, show them the Penn Gillette ads, and demonstrate the ease of use and the focusing action of our specs.
The Bauhaus focuses with a sliding device and the new Leonardos have a rotating dial that is virtually invisible to onlookers. Both methods are very easy to use and I am so used to them I rarely even realize that I’m carrying out the focusing.
Interested? Go Here:
Related articles
- Superfocus releases “Leonardo” line… I’ve been one of their testers (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
Here’s a new problem which will probably start appearing in storm damaged areas (and beyond)…
Here’s something to watch out for that you probably haven’t thought of: if you are shopping for a used car you should be on the lookout for flood-damaged vehicles that often hit the market after a major storm. They may not come from your particular geographic area, but the storm actually covered a lot of ground.
In the wake Hurricane Sandy, which caused massive flooding in several Northeast and Mid-Atlantic cities in the U.S., we should consider the advice given by Edmunds.com (the Car People.)
Once owners of damaged cars settle up with their insurance companies their vehicles are sometimes refurbished and resold. An unsuspecting buyer in a state unaffected by the disaster is the prime target. Long after the seller is gone, the new owner finds it is an unreliable car. Electrical and mechanical problems can then surface, and there is no recourse against the seller.
When the flood waters recede, they often leave behind damaged cars, and that’s where trouble can begin for used-car buyers. After the owners of damaged cars settle up with their insurance companies, vehicles are sometimes refurbished and resold. And sometimes, a middleman buyer intentionally hides a car’s history as a flood-damaged vehicle through a process known as “title washing” and sells it to an unsuspecting buyer in a state unaffected by the disaster. Electrical and mechanical problems then surface later — long after the seller is gone — leaving the new owner with an unreliable car and no recourse against the seller.
According to Fraud Guides, if you suspect a local car dealer is committing fraud by knowingly selling a flood car or a salvaged vehicle as a good-condition used car, contact your auto insurance company, local law enforcement agency or the National Insurance Crime Bureau at (800) TEL-NICB (835-6422).
Of course, the best advice when trying to avoid a flood-damaged vehicle is the adage you’ve heard so often: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Related articles
- Sandy could impact unsuspecting used-car buyers (bottomline.nbcnews.com)
- The risks of buying a write-off motor – Confused.com (confused.com)
- BBB warns about flood-damaged cars (charlotteobserver.com)
- BBB warns about flood-damaged cars (newsobserver.com)
- Water Damaged Cars May Flood Local Dealerships Following Severe Weather (prweb.com)
If you plan on copying posts from this blog for use on other sites…
So many people re-use the things I publish (which is something, for the most part, that I appreciate) that I thought some understanding of copyright rules are in order. I have therefore put the link to my Creative Commons License on the title bar so you can review those rules. – Bill
An Architectural Marvel is up for trashing in Chicago…
I am deeply upset with my alma mater, Northwestern University, as they attempt to tear down a particularly special architectural classic from the 70s. This preservation battle has been building for months in Chicago on the fate of the old Prentice Women’s Hospital, a concrete, cloverleaf structure from 1975 by Chicago architect Bertrand Goldberg. Famous architects and designers like Frank Gehry, Jeanne Gang, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien have signed petitions entreating Northwestern, who owns the building, not to tear it down, pleading for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to give it landmark status.
The university says it needs new biomedical research facilities and that Prentice is too small, old and quirky to adapt. A new building would bring to the city millions of investment dollars, create jobs and save lives – that’s Northwestern’s argument.
So here is a suggestion: Build a research tower on top of Prentice. The architect Jeanne Gang has a proposal for a new research tower on top of the hospital:
Why save Prentice? There are Chicagoans that hate it. Concrete buildings from the ’70s are becoming unpopular outside architectural circles, although it’s spreading, and rightly so. Great late-Modernist buildings, innovative and ruggedly beautiful, deserve respect and careful custody. Prentice is a good example.
Architect Goldberg, who died in 1997, used a pioneering form of computer modeling to engineer a tour de force: an open, seven-story maternity ward inside the cloverleaf shell, cantilevered 45 feet from the supporting core.
Great buildings have often survived the wrecking ball by being added to, incorporated into larger structures or updated for a new era — in Rome and Istanbul, New York and Chicago.
Related articles
- Emanuel Doubles Down On Prentice Non-Committal; Jeanne Gang Draws A Possible Solution (chicagoist.com)
- To raze or raise Old Prentice? (danieljluebke.com)
- Prentice Demolition: Brendan Reilly, Downtown Alderman, Supports NU’s Plan To Tear Down Hospital (huffingtonpost.com)
- The war on Curves: From Phoenix to Chicago to London, curvy buildings are under attack (treehugger.com)
- Prentice will get its hearing at the Landmarks Commission (chicagoreader.com)
- More famous architects call for Prentice preservation; NU continues to press phony ultimatum (chicagoreader.com)
- Looking for a Jeanne Gang quote (ask.metafilter.com)
Here’s a sign of the new embodiment of journalism…
Newsweek will discontinue it’s printed edition with the December 31st Issue. All of Newsweek’s information and branded publications will be on line after that, making it the leading news publication to make its entire presence on the web.
The all digital format is being adopted after more than 80 years in print. Newsweek Global, as the all-digital publication will be named, will be a single, worldwide edition targeted for a highly mobile, opinion-leading audience who want to learn about world events in a sophisticated context. It will be a paid subscription site (like the NY Times) and will be available on both tablets and the Web, with select content available on its current bl9g, The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast, which depends on Newsweek’s editorial content, now attracts more than 15 million visitors a month.
Tina Brown is the editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and Newsweek. Baba Shetty is CEO of The Newsweek Daily Beast Co.
Related articles
- A Turn of the Page for Newsweek (thedailybeast.com)
- Newsweek to cease print edition (bbc.co.uk)
- Newsweek going digital-only by year-end (todayonline.com)
- After 80 Years, Newsweek Is Abandoning Print (businessinsider.com)
- Newsweek ending print edition, job cuts expected (miamiherald.com)
- Big news on the publishing front: Newsweek is going all-digital, two years after its merger with The Daily Beast. (shortformblog.com)
- Newsweek Will Stop Print Edition, Go All-Digital Next Year [Newsweek] (gizmodo.com)
If you’ve heard about employers telling employees how to vote or their jobs are on the line…
… then perhaps you’d like to know where they got that idea.
Well, they got it from Mittens last summer.
In a June 6, 2012 conference call posted on the anti-union National Federation of Independent Business’s website, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney instructed employers to tell their employees how to vote in the upcoming election. In a phone call, after making a lengthy case that President Obama’s first term has been bad for business, Romney said:
I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections. And whether you agree with me or you agree with President Obama, or whatever your political view, I hope, I hope you pass those along to your employees.
Obviously, the Romney campaign is complicit in corporate attempts to influence employees’ votes that have made headlines in the past few days.
On Sunday, In These Times broke the news that Koch Industries mailed at least 45,000 employees a voter information packet that included a flyer endorsing Romney and a letter warning,:
“Many of our more than 50,000 U.S. employees and contractors may suffer the consequences [of a bad election result], including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills.”
In the June call, Romney went on to reassure his audience that it is perfectly legal for them to talk to their employees about how to vote:
Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids as well.
He’s correct that such speech is now legal for the first time ever, thanks to the Citizen United ruling.
Beyond Romney’s statements on the call, it’s unclear whether his election operation is actively coordinating workplace campaigning by businesses. Romney press secretary Andrea Saul did not respond to In These Times’request for comment.However, the conference call raises troubling questions about what appears to be a growing wave of workplace political pressure unleashed by Citizens United.
Here’s Romney presenting this crap to businesses:
Related articles
- Koch Industries Warns 45,000 Employees Of ‘Consequences’ If They Don’t Vote For Republicans (thinkprogress.org)
- Koch Industries Sends Pro-Romney Mail To 45,000 Employees Warning Of “Consequences” (alan.com)
- Unacceptable! Koch Brothers Urge Employees To Vote For Romney…Or Else (newsone.com)
- Urgent message from the boss: vote Romney (smh.com.au)
Gosh… did you see the news about recovery of a missing Roy Lichtenstein painting?
Famed Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s “Electric Cord” was painted in 1961. If you weren’t an active viewer of pop art in the 60s, you have most likely never seen it. Why? Because in January 1970 art dealer Leo Castelli sent it to art restorer Daniel Goldreyer for cleaning. It was never seen again.
Lichtenstein, of course, is best known for his paintings based on printed cartoon images. The black and white electric cord painting was announced missing in 2006 by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the artist’s legacy. The Foundation published an image of the black and white work on the front of its holiday card and appealed to its community for help locate the work.
The late Roy Lichtenstein
Last summer, the painting was discovered at the Hayes Storage Facility in New York, where it was being stored by the Quinta Gallery art gallery of Bogotá, Colombia, on consignment from restorer Goldreyer’s widow, Sally Goldreyer. Apparently someone connected with the restorer’s consignments asked her to sell the “Electric Cord” for him. She claims that she offered to sell it to the Quinta Galeria, but refunded the gallery’s deposit when she found a missing notice for the painting posted on the Internet. It was not something she had been aware of.
“Electric Cord” has been returned to Barbara Bertozzi Castelli, Leo Castelli’s widow.
Related articles
- Missing Roy Lichtenstein Painting Returned After 42 Years – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
- NY owner gets back $4M painting missing since 1970 (miamiherald.com)
- Lost Lichtenstein art returned (bbc.co.uk)
- NY owner gets back $4M painting missing since 1970 (seattletimes.com)
- Stolen Lichtenstein painting returned to widow after 42 years (todayentertainment.today.com)
- Lichtenstein Painting Missing For 42 Years Finally Returned To Rightful Owner (newyork.cbslocal.com)
- Roy Lichtenstein Chair Produced by Graphicstudio Now at the National Gallery of Art (graphicstudiousf.wordpress.com)
- One Dot At A Time, Lichtenstein Made Art Pop (npr.org)
I REALLY need your help to continue the blog…
…and, of course, I have a free gift for donations of $5.00 or more…
…you get my popular picture font:“Bill’s Victorian Ornaments”
These images created from traditional and period sources are very usable at any size in designs and publications. The font comes for Mac and PC, and I usually sell it for $29.95. It’s my way of saying “Thank You” to offer it to $5 or more donors. Believe me, October is becoming a low income month and I HAVE to get some contributions to keep going.
So many of you have been following this blog since 2004 that I feel we’ve built a huge web community.
I have enjoyed bringing you the Cartoon(s) of the Week, the Quotes, the Political and Arts News, the Blogrolls of the best sites in America and beyond… They are all a joy to put together. Often we get the breaking political stories before you see them anywhere else. And our wide open communication channels with readers can’t be beat. I offer your participation at all times and appreciate the hundreds of subscribers who sign up every year.
Without YOUR help to keep it going, I’m in big trouble. I’m hoping you will make a small contribution, by 
PayPal or credit/debit card, in support of Under The LobsterScope. You’d be amazed at how much $5.00 can do to help me bring more and more to these pages. And it is probably the LOWEST annual subscription fee you will make to any publication… interactive or not. I often receive larger contributions and I certainly appreciate those.
Remember, for a contribution of $5.00 (or MORE) you will receive a copy of my Picture Font, Bill’s Victorian Ornaments and the knowledge that this blog will continue onward.
I should note that even a donation of $1.00 gets my thanks and helps to keep this blog going. By clicking on the DONATE button below, you tell me that Under The LobsterScope makes a difference in your time on the web.
Thanks,
– Bill T.
I’m wondering if Halloween is turning into a sexually demonstrative holiday…
Have you seen some of the Halloween costumes, both for kids and adults, that are popping up on the web looking for buyers to turn on? I’m finding them amazing…what was always, to me, a kids’ holiday with a spooky, witches and ghosts attitude seems to be changing radically.
The first costume I saw that made me look for more was this kid’s costume:
The idea that mothers are going to let their young ‘uns out as contraceptive packages surprised the hell out of me… not that I didn’t think it was hilarious.
Then again, there are adult costumes that are making me wonder what folks are looking to communicate.
Perhaps there are too many things in our society that aren’t getting enough attention… or the conservative attack on a woman’s right to choose has results that appear unnatural.
I’m not about to think of Halloween as an obnoxious holiday… it never has been during my life.
It does seem that some folks are having lots of fun with this. I’m not sure if the penis here is for kids or adults. Whatever, it certainly seems happy.
Can you picture moms and dads in the costume shop with junior shopping for this year’s appearance.
And then there are girl’s costumes, too. A used feminine napkin is something I would never have imagined as something to walk the neighborhood looking for candy as.
When you think of it, there are many similar things which could be turned into Halloween costumes and some designer somewhere is having an emotional roller coaster ride.
How we see members of the opposite sex is something that expresses an 
unusual opinion. Men are, perhaps, looking for ways to make a statement as to how he sees the woman in his life. A joke? An insult? A confused thought? Who can tell?
Then, of course, there are costumes looking for some kind of action. Does it make you wonder what occurs during the free mammogram? One can guess.
There is, however, a view of the man/woman relationship as a plug-in idea… and energy will probably be passed on. This is pretty neat, but still highly suggestive.
So… I hope at the end of the month you have an interesting and revealing Halloween.
Related articles
- Top 10 Trending Social Media Halloween Costumes for 2012 Announced (prweb.com)
- Halloween and the rise of sexy costumes for women and girls (rebeccahains.wordpress.com)
- Kim Kardashian Shows Off Scandalous but Boring Halloween Costume (celebs.gather.com)
- Halloween Costumes Are Sexist (ninjaloungehouse.wordpress.com)
Thanks for your contribution, Joe Bratcher
My thanks to
Joe Bratcher for donating to Under The LobsterScope. Thanks, Joe .
Watch your e-mail, your Bill’s Victorian Ornaments font is on the way!
– Bill
If you’d like to help us out at Under The LobsterScope (and we hope you will), go HERE.
Related articles
- Keeping this blog going requires your help… (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
I REALLY need your help to continue the blog…
…and, of course, I have a free gift for donations of $5.00 or more…
…you get my popular picture font:“Bill’s Victorian Ornaments” These images created from traditional and period sources are very usable at any size in designs and publications. The font comes for Mac and PC, and I usually sell it for $29.95. It’s my way of saying “Thank You” to offer it to $5 or more donors. Believe me, October is becoming a low income month and I HAVE to get some contributions to keep going.
So many of you have been following this blog since 2004 that I feel we’ve built a huge web community.
I have enjoyed bringing you the Cartoon(s) of the Week, the Quotes, the Political and Arts News, the Blogrolls of the best sites in America and beyond… They are all a joy to put together. Often we get the breaking political stories before you see them anywhere else. And our wide open communication channels with readers can’t be beat. I offer your participation at all times and appreciate the hundreds of subscribers who sign up every year.
Without YOUR help to keep it going, I’m in big trouble. I’m hoping you will make a small contribution, by PayPal or credit/debit card, in support of Under The LobsterScope. You’d be amazed at how much $5.00 can do to help me bring more and more to these pages. And it is probably the LOWEST annual subscription fee you will make to any publication… interactive or not. I often receive larger contributions and I certainly appreciate those.
Remember, for a contribution of $5.00 (or MORE) you will receive a copy of my Picture Font, Bill’s Victorian Ornaments and the knowledge that this blog will continue onward.
I should note that even a donation of $1.00 gets my thanks and helps to keep this blog going. By clicking on the DONATE button below, you tell me that Under The LobsterScope makes a difference in your time on the web.
Thanks,
– Bill T.
Related articles
- My great thanks to José Moreno for contributing to the blog… (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
Our daily view of state election stats:
Romney came up enough to average out at a close race. There is still enough Obama lead in the majority of swing states. I’ll be curious to the stats after tomorrow night’s VP debate:
COLORADO (American Research Group): Romney 50, Obama 46
CONNECTICUT (Rasmussen): Obama 51, Romney 45, Others 1
INDIANA (McLaughlin and Associates for the Mourdock campaign–R): Romney 55, Obama 39
LOUISIANA (Magellan Research–R): Romney 59, Obama 36
MASSACHUSETTS (MassINC for WBUR): Obama 52, Romney 36, Others 2
MASSACHUSETTS (YouGov for Univ. of Massachusetts): Obama 55, Romney 34, Others 2 (LV); Obama 55, Romney 30, Others 3 (RV)
MINNESOTA (PPP): Obama 53, Romney 43
NEVADA (Rasmussen): Obama 47, Romney 47, Others 3
NEW HAMPSHIRE (Univ. of New Hampshire): Obama 47, Romney 41
NORTH CAROLINA (Gravis–R): Romney 50, Obama 41
OHIO (American Research Group): Romney 48, Obama 47, Others 1
OHIO (CNN/ORC): Obama 51, Romney 47 (LV); Obama 53, Romney 43 (RV)
OHIO (SurveyUSA–link updated): Obama 45, Romney 44, Others 3
Related articles
- Daily Kos Elections Polling Wrap: Is Obama’s brutal poll day a blip, or a permanent re-calibration? (dailykos.com)
- New Colorado poll more evidence of Romney’s post-debate bounce (blogs.denverpost.com)
- Obama starts coming back in the swing states… (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- Romney takes slight lead in new Gallup poll (cbsnews.com)
Unemployment rate drops to 7.8%!
After listening to Romney accusing the President of not being able to get the unemployment rate below 8.1%, today the newest rate report was released. At 7.8% it’s lowest level since January 2009.
Let’s hear it for the President as the rate came down and jobs, even though just a little (114000 jobs in September), moved up.
Meanwhile, what has Romney done to support his country in helping promote unemployment activity? Why, nothing. Nothing at all.
Related articles
- Unemployment rate drops to 7.8 percent, lowest in four years (wjla.com)
- Unemployment rate falls to 7.8% (abcactionnews.com)
- The death of a talking point (maddowblog.msnbc.com)
- US unemployment rate falls to 7.8 pct. in September (bostonherald.com)
- Unemployment rate below 8%, but Romney says not enough (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- 114K new jobs, unemployment drops to 7.8% (cbsnews.com)
- Unemployment Rate Drops to 7.8% (politicalwire.com)
Ready to do some investigating of Romney’s business success?
Take a look at this article in Salon (click on title to read it.)
How Mitt Romney’s Bain “harvested” Sealy mattress company
Sealy was America‘s No. 1 mattress brand — until Bain Capital got its hands on it.
As Josh Kosman says at the end of the article:
“I hope one of the debate moderators asks Romney how Bain helped Sealy.”
Related articles
- Romney At Bain: We “Harvest” Companies (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
- Mitt Romney in 1985 Video: Goal of Bain Capital was to “Harvest” Companies for Profit (themoderatevoice.com)
- In ’85 video, Romney says Bain will ‘harvest’ companies for profit (news.yahoo.com)
- Tempur_Pedic to Acquire Sealy (urethaneblog.typepad.com)
- NEW ROMNEY VIDEO: In 1985, He Said Bain Would “Harvest” Companies for Profits (motherjones.com)
- Bain Workers To Slam ‘Romney Economy’ Until Election Day (huffingtonpost.com)
Arthur Ochs (Punch) Sulzberger, former NY Times publisher, dead at 86.
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger in 1973
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, known to his colleagues as “Punch“, the fourth publisher of the New York Times, is famous for his decision to publish the Pentagon Papers and to promote a radical redesign that set a new standard for newspapers in the last quarter of the 20th century, has died at age 86, after a long illness.
Sulzberger was publisher of the Times from 1963 to 1992 and chairman and chief executive of the parent company from 1973 to 1997. These titles were passed on to his son, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., the fourth generation of his family to head the paper.
Publishing the Pentagon Papers were the defining moment of three decades of transformation at the Times under Sulzberger. He also automated the Times’ production, unified the Sunday and daily news operations under one editor and divided the paper into four brightly written sections.
Hampered by dyslexia, he was an indifferent student who daydreamed in class. His grades were so poor that he repeated the first year of high school. In 1943, the 17-year-old joined the Marines. His desire to prove himself on the battlefield was thwarted by his father, who arranged a transfer to Gen. Douglas MacArthur‘s staff as driver and jack of all trades. After World War II, Sulzberger earned a degree at Columbia University in 1951. He served in the Korean War as a public information officer.
Related articles
- Ex-NY Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger dies (thestar.com)
- Ex-NY Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger dies (newsobserver.com)
- Ex-NY Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger dies (wtvm.com)
- Arthur O. Sulzberger Dead: Former New York Times Publisher Dies At 86 (huffingtonpost.com)
- Former New York Times Publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Dead At 86 (newyork.cbslocal.com)
- Ex-NY Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger dies (miamiherald.com)
- Former NY Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger dies at 86 (mercurynews.com)
- Ex-NY Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger dies (usnews.nbcnews.com)
- Ex-NY Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger dies (thenewstribune.com)
So, did businessman Romney really create jobs…or destroy them for profit?
Mother Jones has obtained a video from 1985 in which Romney, describing Bain’s formation, showed how he viewed the firm’s mission. He explained that its goal was to identify potential and hidden value in companies, buy significant stakes in these businesses, and then “harvest them at a significant profit” within five to eight years.
The video was included in a CD-ROM created in 1998 to mark the 25th anniversary of Bain & Company, the consulting firm that gave birth to Bain Capital. Here is the full clip, as it appeared on that CD-ROM (the editing occurred within the original).
Read David Corn‘s story about this video: http://bit.ly/VKJL6L
The New Romney Health Plan for the Poor…
I watched’ “60 Minutes” last night and heard Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney reveal his new plan for the millions of Americans who don’t have any health care coverage: Go to the emergency room.
“Well, we do provide care for people who don’t have insurance. If someone has a heart attack, they don’t sit in their apartment and die. We pick them up in an ambulance, and take them to the hospital, and give them care. And different states have different ways of providing for that care.”
– The 2012 Mittster
As just about anyone will tell you, this is a publicly more expensive program and must less effective than insured quality care on an ongoing basis.
This is the same man who implemented the universal health care law in Massachusetts (what we tend to call Romneycare) while he was the governor. He also reiterated the need for universal coverage back in 2010 during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“Look, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for us to have millions and millions of people who have no health insurance and yet who can go to the emergency room and get entirely free care for which they have no responsibility, particularly if they are people who have sufficient means to pay their own way.”
– The 2010 Mittster
Does this guy ever stick to his opinions? Are any of his thoughts really his own?
I doubt it.
Related articles
- Romney and Health Care (thepage.time.com)
- Mitt Romney Says the Emergency Room Is a Fine Health Insurance Plan for the Poors (slog.thestranger.com)
- Mitt Romney, On 60 Minutes, Cites Emergency Room As Health Care Option For Uninsured (afgelocal704.com)
- Romney was against emergency room care before he was for it – Washington Post (blog) (washingtonpost.com)
- Romney and Health Care – TIME (thepage.time.com)
- Romney Solidifies Major Shift On Health Care (VIDEO) (tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com)
- Mitt Romney: Don’t Have Health Care? Call Ambulance and Hope for the Best (alternet.org)
- Let Them Eat Emergency Rooms: Mitt Romney Says ERs Will Provide Care for the Uninsured [Say What] (gawker.com)
- Just go to the ER, redux (allbleedingstops.blogspot.com)
Tomorrow night is the Emmys… here are the shows that are nominated:
64th Primetime Emmy Award Nominations
Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO • HBO Entertainment
Girls • HBO • Apatow Productions and I am Jenni Konner Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
Modern Family • ABC • Levitan-Lloyd Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Television
Veep • HBO • Dundee Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire • HBO • Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front
Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
Downton Abbey • PBS • A Carnival / Masterpiece Co-Production
Game Of Thrones • HBO • Bighead, Littlehead, Generator Productions,
Homeland • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet, Fox 21
Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story • FX Networks • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Game Change • HBO • Playtone and Everyman Pictures in association with HBO Films
Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY • Thinkfactory Media in association with History
Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO • Attaboy Films and A Walrus & Associates in
Luther • BBC America • A BBC and BBC America Co-Production
Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS • Hartswood West for
Outstanding Variety Series
The Colbert Report • Comedy Central • Hello Doggie, Inc. with Busboy Productions and Spartina Productions
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Jimmy Kimmel Live • ABC • ABC Studios in association with Jackhole Industries, Inc
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon • NBC • Universal Television and Broadway Video
Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO • Bill Maher Productions and Brad Grey Television in association with HBO
Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Outstanding Variety Special
Betty White’s 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America’s Golden Girl • NBC • Brad Lachman Productions and Universal Television
Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker • Bravo • Rickmill Productions
Mel Brooks And Dick Cavett Together Again • HBO • Brooksfilms in association with HBO Entertainment
Tony Bennett: Duets II (Great Performances) • PBS • A Production of RPM TV Productions, Inc.
Outstanding Special Class Programs
84th Annual Academy Awards • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards • NBC • Dick Clark Productions, Inc.
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards • CBS • AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC and John Cossette Productions, Inc.
Herbie Hancock, Gustavo Dudamel And The LA Phil Celebrate Gershwin (Great Performances) • PBS
Louis C.K. Live At The Beacon Theatre • FX Networks • Pig Newton, Inc.
65th Annual Tony Awards • CBS • White Cherry Entertainment in association with Tony Award Productions
Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs
Childrens Hospital • Cartoon Network • The Corddry Company, Abominable Pictures and Studio 2.0
The Daily Show Correspondents Explain • thedailyshow.com • Comedy Central Digital Media
Parks And Recreation: April And Andy’s Road Trip • nbc.com • NBC.com | Universal Television
30 Rock: The Webisodes • nbc.com • NBC.com | Universal Television
Web Therapy • lstudio.com • An Is or Isn’t Entertainment production in association with Intelligent Life Productions
The Colbert Report • Episode 7121A • Comedy Central • Hello Doggie, Inc. with Busboy Productions
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Episode 17087 • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Late Show With David Letterman • Episode 3602 • CBS • Worldwide Pants Incorporated
Portlandia • One Moore Episode • IFC • Broadway Video in association with IFC
Saturday Night Live • Host: Mick Jagger • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television
Related articles
- The Emmy Nominations Are Out! (new102.cbslocal.com)
- ‘Mad Men’ tries to make Emmy history (cnn.com)
- Emmys 2012: Homeland, Smash, Kathy Bates and Jeremy Davies Among Early Winners (tvline.com)
- And The Emmy Nominees Are … (huffingtonpost.com)
- 2012 Emmy nominees: Jimmy Fallon, Mr. Nice Guy (newyork.newsday.com)
- UPDATE: “Hatfields & McCoys” Receive 16 Emmy Nominations (wsaz.com)
- Emmys 2012: Parker Posey Teaches ‘Emmy Speech Master Class’ Starring Parker Posey (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
- “Mad Men” and “Horror Story” Lead Emmy Nods (snspost.com)
- 64th Primetime Emmys: The nominees list (marquee.blogs.cnn.com)
Under The LobsterScope 
Reviewing the “junk” or “spam” that comes into this blog…
Sep 18
Posted by btchakir
Every so often instead of just trashing the entries that Akismet builds up during the course of the say, I take a quick review of where this stuff is coming from. Since I average about 9,500 of these bothersome bits a month, reviewing them is pretty much a waste of time, but it tells me what some people out in the blogosphere are trying to do.
Would you believe that this costs $1500.00?
For the most part they are trying to get free advertising posted as comments to blog entries. Last year the big pushers were porn sites, but this year I am swamped by women’s accessories – primarily Gucci leather products (mostly handbags) and various brands of ladies’ shoes.
Who do these people think this blog serves? Why do they think I’ll post this stuff?
I’d like to think the posters are wasting their time, but since I am sure this garbage is being put out by some kind of automatic list pushed across the web, I doubt that they are taking up anyone’s time at all.
Thankfully, Akismet has a great memory for spammers and removes them immediately. I recommend it highly.
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