Passports

Only 30% of Americans have passports.  In this Tumblr article, Peter Vidani charts out the states with the highest (New Jersey) and lowest (Mississippi, West Virginia) rates of passport holders.

Interestingly, here’s a map of the 2008 election.

American Pie

GM is announcing profits today for the first time in a decade.  The last time they announced profits, Chris Cross was telling me to Jump, Jump.

So what to do with $4.7 billion?  Well, you could repay the US taxpayer, who still owns 61% of GM.  Since the US government is having problems with its own accounts, a little check from GM would be great.

Or you could pay your 45,000 workers a $4,300 bonus and give incentives of 4 to 16 percent to 26,000 salaried workers.

This is what is killing the little guy and why the Wisconsin revolution is as future telling as the Middle Eastern one.  1) People hate that the little guy, the taxpayer, is getting the short end once again.  And  this time 2) it can weakly be attributed to unions, since the GM payouts are contractually obliged.

As a Democrat, I’ll be the first one to stand up and shout out that there needs to be a united force standing up for workers rights.  But as a taxpayer and an American wanting our country to prosper, I’m leery of the collective bargainer whose demands well exceed the average Joe. 

The Wisconsin debate and the GM press release illustrate the same forces in action.  Powerful business lobbies and union driven employee lobbies are fighting for the last pieces of pie left in America.  Whoever wins, you can be guaranteed they’ll be no slice for you and I.

brilliant

She’s Coming to the Northeast

I am in a great mood today.  After repeating her brilliant and astute slogan “Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing,” throughout CPAC and beyond, Michelle Bachman has now stated (effectively) she will be running for president and as such, she will be visiting New Hampshire.  We need to be there.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/bachmann-government-shutdown-a-liberal-bugaboo-video.php?ref=fpb

The best part is when she calls trains and windmills “150 year-old technology.”  As if windmills that made electricity were common place during the Civil War.

Why Nobody Buys StateFarm Insurance

The current rave thing to do if you’re a corporation is to have people “Like” your product on Facebook.  I’ve seen it spin around a couple of times now and I’m not buying those fish.  If I start liking products that I don’t believe in just to win prizes, then my viral awesomeness can be bought and then true viral awesomeness is a little less awesome.

Anyways, then there’s StateFarm Insurance.  They’ve taken viral buzzkill to a new level.

First I read a Weezer State Farm article on Paste Magazine here.  Weezer put together a jingle for StateFarm and I was psyched to see their output. Only, the marketing geniuses at StateFarm killed the YouTube video:

Continuing their marketing prowess, StateFarm soared yesterday as well, when I got this email from GoMaine, a great advocacy group for Maine green transportation.

With no faith in their marketing abilities, why would I buy insurance from these people? 

Like a good neighbor (with no Internet skills), State Farm is there (unless you’re under 65 in which case we don’t understand your technology).

Why I spent a whole post on an insurance company rant I have no idea.

Glenn Beck outlines the death of America

Take the 12 minutes and watch the below clip.  If for nothing else than just to see how far off the deep end he’s gone.

If you don’t believe him you can go to hell (4:17)

If you believe the Director of National Intelligence, you’re dead (9:30)

Beck called 9/11 in 1999 (this must have been on morning zoo) (9:58)

The American revolution’s bloodshed was ok because it did not involve guillotines. (11:20)

“tell it to Daniel Pearl!”

Packers vs. Steelers -- O vs. O–Entitled Bark vs. the Soft Chuckle

Many of you probably saw this interview before the game on Sunday.  This is one of those examples of clear style differences between the right and the left, or more accurately the right and the middle.  O’Reilly starts out with a sincere thank you to the administration then seamlessly (?) transitions into a point blank question that everyone knows has no answer.

Other journalists, and even opinion guys like O’Reilly, contextualize questions; they provide a framework that conveys they too have given the matter at hand some thought.  Hell, even Beck prepares for interviews, even if its writing in his own journal.   But when it comes to Egypt, Mr. O’Reilly spits his opening question out in the same tone one would ask a rude waiter for a second beer.

But this is not where the contrast between the two is most evident.  That comes after each of the President’s answers.  Now mind you, these answers are evasive and political.  They have the same vague flavor you would expect from any leader commenting on a revolution not taking place in their country.  But I would chose vague over the partisan editorializing O’Reilly uses to shift from one question to the next.  Its astounding how even though he is sitting in front of the leader of the free world, he still acts like he’s on the Factor.

And through it all the president’s signature smile.  He knows this guy is a joke but there’s the large viewership to consider.  The look on his face when O’Reilly asks him if he knows football is the same you give a child that’s asking why they have to go to bed.  If I had to guess, wearing a jacket just became the second worst part of the President’s Superbowl Sunday.

And in the mean time, someone at Fox needs to explain to Bill O’Reilly the difference between asking hard-hitting questions and acting like a hardass.

 

LiveJournal Tags: Obama,O'Reilly,Superbowl,Amicis