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While we are always glad to openly discuss the topics of the day, we are unfortunately unable to comment about recent reports alleging misconduct by The Chief Source and or our graphics, advertising, and merchandising departments. We are currently discussing options with our legal team and can assure our readers and the press that a statement will be forthcoming when the time is appropriate. Thank you for your continued support during these difficult times. That is all we have to say at this time.
Dietary Note
McDonalds McGriddle 
I am addicted to bacon, egg and cheese McGriddles from McDonalds. They are delicious and I either get that or an Egg McMuffin. I decided to check the nutrition facts on these little treats:
Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles® -- 450 calories
Egg McMuffin® -- 290 calories
I'll be switching to Egg McMuffin from now on.
click here for all McDonalds nutrition facts
Reaction to CMPA Study Posted on Rival Site
Those of you who read the Keeler Report, you saw his recent commentary regarding the press release from Center for Media and Public Affairs. Mediamatters.org posted the following response to that press release:
"In a November 1 press release that professed to summarize the results of CMPA's survey of nightly news coverage from Labor Day to Election Day, the center proclaimed that "John Kerry is getting the most favorable network news coverage of any presidential candidate in the past quarter century." As of November 22, however, CMPA had yet to release the full study to substantiate the claims from its press release. But an earlier CMPA study, which surveyed nightly news' election coverage from September 7 to October 1, may hint at the final results. That study found that evaluations of Kerry on ABC, CBS, and NBC's nightly news programs were 38 percent positive for Kerry and only 29 percent positive for Bush -- a nine-point discrepancy favoring Kerry. But the study also found that Special Report evaluations were 31 percent positive for Bush and only 21 percent positive for Kerry -- a ten-point discrepancy favoring Bush."
"An earlier CMPA study, which analyzed coverage from June 1 through September 2 (but only analyzed Special Report starting on August 1), found an even more striking discrepancy. The networks' evaluations of Kerry were 61 percent positive compared with 41 percent positive for Bush -- a 20-percent discrepancy. But FOX evaluated Bush positively 45 percent of the time, and Kerry only 17 percent. CMPA observed: "Fox News Channel was about as negative towards Bush as the broadcast networks [55 percent vs. 59 percent], but Kerry's evaluations were negative by a five-to-one margin."
Click here for the full Media Matters article.
My Apologies
I want to apologize to all of you who were home this Thanksgiving break that I did not get to see. I unfortunately broke my ankle and had to go to the hosiptal after eating my turkey for x-rays. I won't know anything for certain until Monday when I see an orthopedic specialist. I haven't done much but ice my leg and crutch around. I'm sorry I missed the rest of the weekend.
Anyone who know what happened in Rozuk's hotel room please share the story. Thank you.
In The Shower I Prayed
After the Republican victory on Election Day, there has been more discussion of the role of religion in public policy and discourse. Today the Sunday news shows on NBC and ABC featured panels of religious thinkers discussing the election results and religion in America. I found the topics discussed to be very intereting and hope that similar diologues continue.
The conclusion of both panels was that Democrats failed to discuss the issues that religious people would care about in religious terms. Issues like poverty, taking care of the sick, and education are all issues discussed in religious texts acrossed the spectrum and are winning issues for Democrats. Republicans were successful in talking about their issues like gay-marriage and ending a woman's right to make decisions about her own body in religious terms. They also discussed that religious people knew where George Bush stood on religion and that for a lot of voters the fact that he was "a brother in Christ" trumped minor political difference. I think that is a good point.
The following is one of my favorites and a real quote from the Revrend Dr. Jerry Falwell given today on Meet the Press: "This morning in the shower I prayed for all 15 of our family by name, by need, because I want the curtain of God's provision upon them and protection along the highways and decision-making, God's wisdom."
I'm sure that god appreciates prayer. It just seems to me that there is a time and a place besides the shower for prayer.
Ben Franklin had tremendous respect for their resourcefulness, agility, and beauty—he called the turkey “a bird of courage” and “a true original native of America.” Franklin even suggeted naming the turkey, instead of the eagle, as our national bird.
Gun Used in Wisconsin massacre
This is a picture of the SKS 7.62 mm semiautomatic rifle used by a hunter to kill 6 people in Wisconsin. I support the right to bear arms, but why should people own this thing?
This weapon used to be banned under the assault Weapons Ban passed by President Clinton, but it expired under President Bush. So good news, you can buy one if you like... CLICK HERE!!!!
Republican Spending Out of Control
The Omnibus spending bill that passed the Republican controlled house and senate and will go to the desk of the President is full of government waste. Will President Bush veto a spending bill in his second term? He didn't in his first. I guess we are learning why so many people gave so much money to political campaigns across the country. Here are the top 20 examples of wastefull spending provided by a group called Tax Payers for Common Sense. Click here for the full text.
1. $25,000: Curriculum development for the study of mariachi music, Clark County School Distinct, NV, Labor-HHS.
2. $25,000: Banana Factory for an arts and technology after school program, Bethlehem, PA, Labor-HHS.
3. $45,000: A+ for Abstinence for abstinence education and related services, Waynesboro, PA, Labor-HHS.
4. $300,000: CyberSeniors, Inc. - Experience Senior Power Program, Detroit, MI, Labor-HHS.
5. $225,000: National Wild Turkey Federation, SC, Agriculture.
6. $250,000: Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN, VA/HUD.
7. $1,000,000: Missouri Pork Producers Federation: converting animal waste into energy, MO, VA/ HUD.
8. $75,000: Renovations of the Merry Go Round Playhouse, Auburn, NY, VA/HUD.
9. $100,000: Punxsutawney Weather Museum, Punxsutawney, PA, VA/HUD.
10. $306,000: Restroom repair at Porter Beach at Indian Dunes NL, IN, Interior.
11. $4,989,000: Stabilize bathhouses for adaptive reuse, Hot Springs, AR, Interior.
12. $800,000: Soybean Rust Research, Ames, IA, Interior.
13. $1,400,000: Laser lines of tug roads and lake Hood Seaplane base, Ted Stevens International Airport, AK, Transportation.
14. $1,593: Potato Storage, Madison, WI, Agriculture.
15. $250,000: Asparagus Technology and Production, WA, Agriculture.
16. $50,000: Feral Hogs, MO, Agriculture.
17. $150,000: Coca-Cola Space Science Center, Columbs, GA, VA/HUD
18. $150,000: Beaver management and damage. WI, Agriculture
19. $250,000: Sidewalks, street furniture, and facade improvements. Boca Raton, FL, VA/HUD
20. $200,000: American Cotton Museum. Greenville, TX, VA/HUD.
Oink oink.
Gone
Fine him, ban him from the league, and send him to jail.
Click here for Rush Limbaugh's comments on the Artest scandal - "You look at NBA players and the uniforms, you don't have to go back very far. The uniforms have changed totally. They're now in gang colors. They are in gang styles." - from Media Matters
If you haven't seen this video you absolutely must click here and watch the "free video" on MSNBC.com
Here is what the NBA has done about this:
click here for full article from YahooNews
The NBA commissioner suspended Artest for the remainder of this season Sunday and disciplined eight other members of the Pacers and Pistons, sending a strong message that the league won't tolerate the type of unprecedented violence displayed Friday night.
Jackson drew a 30-game suspension and his Indiana teammate O'Neal was banned for 25 games. Ben Wallace of Detroit was hit with a six-game ban, and Indiana's Anthony Johnson got a five-game suspension. Four others drew one-game suspensions for leaving the bench during the initial stages of a fracas that quickly escalated into a five-minute melee with players and patrons exchanging punches.
While coming down hard on the players, Stern also announced the league would review several procedures, from in-game security to alcohol sales, in order to establish a safer arena environment.
Whack-a-mole
Analogy made by Senator John McCain on yesterday's Meet The Press to illustrate the struggle with insurgents. Here is an exerpt from the transcript:
MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to Iraq. Here are the headlines. "Baghdad suffers a day of attacks, assassinations. Residents fear an insurgent offensive." We went into Fallujah, a successful military operation, but the insurgency seems to pop up all across the country, like one of the games if you hit it...
SEN. McCAIN: Whack-a-mole.
MR. RUSSERT: ...at the arcade...
SEN. McCAIN: Yeah.
MR. RUSSERT: ...it pops up someplace else.
SEN. McCAIN: Whack-a-mole. First of all, the operation in Fallujah was very successful. We killed over a thousand of these people and captured almost an equal number. It is a significant setback. We know that this was a base of operations, which we never should have allowed to form to start with. But to go in and do that was an absolute necessity. Now, we've got to follow it up to other places such as Ramadi and others because we've got to keep them on the run...
Does that mean everything's fine? No, you've got to follow them up. You've got to go to these other places. You cannot allow them to have sanctuary. The American people have got to know this is a very tough struggle, but I don't see how you could have had elections the end of this coming January if the enemy had a sanctuary particularly in a city the size of Fallujah. So this is a right step in the right direction, but it's very tough and we still need more troops. We still need more people there. I believe those reports of those young Marines that said, "Look, unless we keep a significant presence here, they're going to filter back in."
MR. RUSSERT: More American troops?
SEN. McCAIN: I've said that for--since a year ago last August.
MR. RUSSERT: How many more do you think we need, Senator, in all honesty?
SEN. McCAIN: I would say at least 40,000 or 50,000 more, but...
MR. RUSSERT: Where are you going to find them?
SEN. McCAIN: I think you can find them, but it's an enormous strain. We also have to plan on increasing the size of the Army and the Marine Corps. Among others, General McCaffrey is a guy I admire. He says the--you need to increase the Army by about 80,000 and the Marines by 20,000 to 30,000. I don't dispute that. He and others tell me that that's about the right numbers.
MR. RUSSERT: Not only putting down the insurgency, but the number of Iraqi children who are starving has doubled since the war began. We need troops and those support systems for a whole lot of reasons.
SEN. McCAIN: Yeah...
Michigan weekend Playboy... nice work G.
Thanks to Matt and Justin for having me at their function on Friday.
Michigan Blows
This game is the Buckeye's chance to make a lack luster season respectable.
I can't believe the football season is coming to an end and it is already time for the best rivalry in college football bar none. If you haven't been to Columbus before for this weekend you are missing out. Your idiot friends make you get up at 6:30 for kegs and eggs. People are falling over drunk at 11:30am. It is usually alumni who are in the worst shape. Is that going to be me this year?
If you walk down the streets or across campus you can hear the game in surround sound because every television is tuned in. People come out of their houses after interceptions, touchdowns, and halftime to cheer or yell. After the game is over you either hear the fight song blasting or beer bottles breaking. Around dinner time all of campus passes out. However, win or lose there are huge parties that night. The parties are usually followed by riots and dumpster fires. The riots are slowly broken up by Police in riot gear shooting pepper spray and tear gas from armored vehicles. A special note to any of our readers who may get pepper sprayed this weekend: Even if you are just watching, the police will soak you in pepper spray. Also, the shower when you get home hurts much worse than when you first get hit.
Regardless it is a lot of fun and good to see old friends at my alma mater. Go Bucks!!!
Happy 22 Carson.
Clinton Comeback
Bill O'Reilly, now known best for his phone sex scandal, is still the top rated show on Fox. I don't really watch his show because I usually don't watch Fox "News." I will once in a while just to see how they are spinning an important news story. I stick with NBC for the evening news.
In a recent talking points memo, O'Reilly said the following: "And now I'm going to be controversial. Now, I know the word is Condoleezza Rice (search) will get the job. And she is absolutely brilliant and very loyal to President Bush, but I would replace Secretary Powell with Bill Clinton. Yikes! The former president probably wouldn't take the job, but if he did, countries like France, Germany, and Spain would like the move, perhaps cooperate more with America. Add Canada and Indonesia to that group as well."
"Mr. Clinton is a smart guy, knows the players and the issues, and has clout, especially in the Palestinian-Israeli arena. So there you go, bold move, little downside, maybe big benefits. But I'm sure President Bush isn't going to do it." (full talking points memo click here)
Way to be moderate O'Reilly. It is my hope that Bill Clinton comes back to public life soon.
Additionally, we have received a lot of feedback about a post a while back that ranked the intelligence of states and then showed how they voted for President. Click here to view the website and chart. Readers asked for the methodology of that chart. It can be read by clicking here. It is at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to Matt Smith for his contribution to the content of this post. Also, the first round of Ron stickers came in the mail yesterday. Exceptional.
A look ahead.
Unrelated - Chris Congeni and I have been looking at apartments in the Akron area. I came across this while I was looking. Click here and look at reason #25.
National Cell Phone Directory
Are you having problems with telemarketers? Do you want to take them for a ride in your new boat then bleach your hair, take about $15,000 out of the bank, and when the police question you admit that you were in fact on your boat... but alone?
We understand and have something that can help.
The national directory of cell phone numbers is about to be published. Once this happens telemarketers will have access to your cell phone number! This will be even more annoying than the calls to your "regular" phone because in addition to being a disruption, these calls will also use your cellular minutes.
If you wish to avoid this, register your cell number on the National Do Not Call list as soon as possible. You can do this online by going to http://www.donotcall.gov/ or by calling 888-382-1222 from the phone you wish to register.
Also, this information was sent to me by my friend Brad. If you found this helpful, please call him on his cell phone to say thank you. His number is 614-972-BIRD.
Powell Done
It comes as no surprise that Colin Powell quit his post as Secretary of State over the weekend. Will Condi be his replacement? Will he write a tell all book?
This is completely unrelated to Colin Powell:
Are you bored?
Turn your sound on and click here, it is really sweet.
Semi-Separation of Church and State
Each Sunday we pause to remind ourselves of the influence of the Christian Right on the current administration.
This week we look at a letter from the President of Bob Jones University (Bob Jones) to the President of the United States. You may remember President Bush campaigning at this campus. He took a bit of heat because the campus had a policy that banned interracial dating... dam liberal media. The crazy parts of this letter are highlighted in righteous red.
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The media tells us that you have received the largest number of popular votes of any president in America's history. Congratulations!
In your re-election, God has graciously granted America - though she doesn't deserve it - a reprieve from the agenda of paganism. You have been given a mandate. We the people expect your voice to be like the clear and certain sound of a trumpet. Because you seek the Lord daily, we who know the Lord will follow that kind of voice eagerly.
Don't equivocate. Put your agenda on the front burner and let it boil. You owe the liberals nothing. They [liberals] despise you because they despise your Christ. Honor the Lord, and He will honor you.
Had your opponent won, I would have still given thanks, because the Bible says I must (I Thessalonians 5:18). It would have been hard, but because the Lord lifts up whom He will and pulls down whom He will, I would have done it. It is easy to rejoice today, because Christ has allowed you to be His servant in this nation for another presidential term. Undoubtedly, you will have opportunity to appoint many conservative judges and exercise forceful leadership with the Congress in passing legislation that is defined by biblical norm regarding the family, sexuality, sanctity of life, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and limited government. You have four years - a brief time only - to leave an imprint for righteousness upon this nation that brings with it the blessings of Almighty God.
Christ said, - If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my father honour - (John 12:26).
The student body, faculty, and staff at Bob Jones University commit ourselves to pray for you - that you would do right and honor the Savior. Pull out all the stops and make a difference. If you have weaklings around you who do not share your biblical values, shed yourself of them. Conservative Americans would love to see one president who doesn't care whether he is liked, but cares infinitely that he does right.
Best wishes.
Sincerely your friend,
Bob Jones III
President
PS: A few moments ago I read this letter to the students in Chapel. They applauded loudly their approval.
When I told them that Tom Daschle was no longer the minority leader of the Senate, they cheered again.
On occasion, Christians have not agreed with things you said during your first term. Nonetheless, we could not be more thankful that God has given you four more years to serve Him in the White House, never taking off your Christian faith and laying it aside as a man takes off a jacket, but living, speaking, and making decisions as one who knows the Bible to be eternally true.
Advice for Democrats
Click on the picture for Carville's office.
James Carville gave some great advice on what Democrats need to do. I have read most of his books and like his style and thinking. The following exerpt is taken from today's Meet The Press.
MR. RUSSERT: Why did George Bush win?
MR. CARVILLE: Well, I think the problem is I think we shouldn't just look to what happened to Senator Kerry. I think that the Democratic Party really is at a precarious moment here. And what we do is is we produce a litany or we go from election to election. Now, we don't control any branch of government. We've lost three out of 10, or if you want to call it count the tie in 2000, that's fine, too. I mean, we've won three out of the last 10 presidential elections.
The purpose of a political party in a democracy is to win elections. We're not doing that well enough, and I think that we can't deny that the problem exists. I think we have to confront the problem. And by and large, our message has been we can manage problems, while the Republicans, although they will say we can solve problems, they produce a narrative. We produce a litany. They say, "I'm going to protect you from the terrorists in Tehran and the homos in Hollywood." We say, "We're for clean air, better schools, more health care." And so there's a Republican narrative, a story, and there's a Democratic litany. And, you know, at a point, you look at 45 Senate seats, you look at a lost presidential election, and you say, "We have to rethink this thing." I really believe that.
MR. RUSSERT: But you're suggesting the Democrats lost, that George Bush didn't win.
MR. CARVILLE: Well, I'm suggesting--look, I said both. I gave him enormous credit. I said it was the signature political achievement of my life, but it wasn't just this election--and I think it's an election that people wanted change. I think if we had produced--the party itself--I just don't want to focus on Senator Kerry or his campaign. This is not the first election that we've lost. There's--something is setting in here.
Now, having said that, my friends caution me, and they're right. I mean, 48 percent--I mean, we're not starting in terms of shambles here, but I think this is a message to the Democratic Party: We need to produce a narrative. We need to be more about solving problems as opposed to managing them, and I think it's going to be interesting to see how it comes out.
Voter Fraud
Some of my fellow liberal friends have been caught up in the conspiracy theories regarding voter fraud in this election. I don't buy any of it. I have read several articles as well as the claims made by Moveon.org. Their primary evidence is one malfunctioning voter machines in Franklin County (Columbus, OH) and the results of the exit polls from election day.
The main reason I reject any attempt to claim voter fraud in Ohio is that the margin of victory was too large. Even if there were a handful of votes here and there it wouldn't amount to anything close to Bush's margin of victory in Ohio. I am also not the biggest fan of the Electoral College in the current format. The national margin of victory ends the need for investigation in my opinion.
On the exit poll issue, I think they should be made illegal. Explain to me the benefit of releasing projected results midway through Election Day. This past year it could have:
1. Made Kerry voters stay home because he was going to win.
2. Made Bush voters stay home because he was going to lose.
3. Made Kerry voters go out and vote because they wanted to vote for a winner.
3. Made Bush voters go out and vote because of fear that John Kerry would win.
Regardless these crap polls produce a shift in the electorate. I peachy with all polling, projecting, pontificating and prognosticating prior to Election Day. On Election Day it should all stop and let people vote.
Here are links to two sides of the voter fraud debate:
NY Times Article - Vote Fraud Theories, Spread by Blogs, Are Quickly Buried
Moveon.org petition to have Congress investigate voting in 2004
How the creators of South Park viewed the two Presidential Candidates
Turd Sandwich
Giant Douche
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Kyle,
