Category: Uncategorized

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Conservative news sources: Obama not to blame for rising gas prices

Recently, Newt Gingrich laid blame for rising gas prices at the feet of President Obama saying “The price of gasoline when Barack Obama became president was $1.89. All of this gigantic increase came from his policies.”

But the conservative Wall Street Journal countered by saying:

“U.S. gasoline prices, like prices throughout the advanced economies, are determined by global market forces. It is hard to see how Mr. Obama’s policies can be blamed.”

“Mr. Gingrich ignores the basic fact about U.S. gas prices: They are largely fixed by the price of crude oil, which is determined by global supply and demand.”

“When Mr. Obama was inaugurated, demand was weak due to the recession. But now it’s stronger, and thus the price is higher.”

“What’s more, producing a lot of oil doesn’t lower the price of gasoline in your country. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Germans over the past three years have paid an average of $2.64 a gallon (excluding taxes), while Americans paid $2.69, even though the U.S. produced 5.4 million barrels of oil per day while Germany produced just 28,000.”

In addition, the Koch Brothers funded Cato Institute had this to say:

“Is President Obama responsible for spiraling price of gasoline? Republicans say yes, but the facts say no. Despite the popular perception of President Obama as anti-oil, domestic oil production is increasing for the first time since the Johnson administration…. Unfortunately, presidents get blamed for world market changes that occur during their time in office … but generally, they do not cause them.”

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Chief strategist for McCain campaign on Sarah Palin: “Manifestly unprepared to take the oath of office”

Steve Schmidt – chief strategist for Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign – is a plain-spoken and direct man. This morning he appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and asked for his thoughts on HBO’s movie “Game Change.”

With blunt honesty, Schmidt spoke about the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain’s vice presidential nominee and his role in that decision:

“It’s a story of when cynicism and idealism collide, when you have to do the things that are necessary to win to try to get in office to do the great things you want to do for the country,” Schmidt said. “And I think it showed a process of vetting that was debilitated by secrecy, that was compartmentalized, that failed, that led to a result that was reckless for the country. And I think when you look back at that race, you see this person who is just so phenomenally talented at so many levels, an ability to connect. But also someone who had a lot of flaws as someone running to be in the national command authority who clearly wasn’t prepared.”

“Politically, she was a net positive to the campaign,” Schmidt said of the former Alaska governor. But she was a “net negative” because “someone was nominated to the vice presidency who was manifestly unprepared to take the oath of office should it become necessary and as it has become necessary many times in American history.”

“For me and the experience I had on this campaign is that there are worse things than losing,” Schmidt said. When he was asked to spell that out, he said, “When a result happens that puts someone who’s not prepared to be president on the ticket, that’s a bad result. I think the notion of Sarah Palin being president of the United States is something that frightens me, frankly. And I played a part in that. And I played a part in that because we were fueled by ambition to win.”

Andrea Mitchell asked Schmidt whether he thought Palin had a future as a national leader in the GOP:

“I hope not,” he said. “And the reason I say that is because if you look at, over the last four years, all of the deficiencies in knowledge, all the deficiencies in preparedness, she’s done not one thing to rectify them, to correct them. She has become a person who I think is filled with grievance, filled with anger who has a divisive message for the national stage when we need leaders in both parties to have a unifying message. . . . The lack of preparedness was a bad thing and the total disinterest in being more prepared and rectifying that is something that disqualifies.”

(source)

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Blake Shelton on his “bromance” with Adam Levine

Blake Shelton joking about his “bromance” with fellow The Voice judge Adam Levine:

“All I have to say is, it’s true: I have a man crush on Adam. It blows me away people can pick up on that just by watching that on television. I want to kiss him. I want to kiss him so bad. I don’t care if it’s mutual or not. Can you honestly tell me that you don’t have a little bit of a crush on Adam? He’s sexy, is the word I’m using.”

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Trailer: May I Kill U?

Upcoming new dark comedy starring Kevin Bishop (who’s currently starring with Olivia Newton-John in the hit comedy “A Few Best Men”).

I had the chance to meet Kevin earlier this year and he’s one of the funniest, most talented actors I’ve met. During the days I spent with him, he was on an almost constant Robin Williams kind of stream of consciousness comedy spree.

I’d see Kevin in anything. He’s going to be very big in the US soon.

Please remember I said that 🙂

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Ricky Martin on returning to Broadway in EVITA

Exceprt from Ricky Martin in The Advocate:

Until this year’s guest appearance on Glee, Martin hadn’t acted since Les Misérables. Glee cocreator Ryan Murphy, a fan of Martin’s, had pursued the singer and wrote the episode specifically for him. “He has such star power,” Murphy says. “Even the straight boys in the cast were just gob-smacked by his confidence and said if they ever turned, it would be for Ricky Martin.”

The pleasant experience Martin had on Glee makes him wonder why he’d waited so long to return to acting. “I was very busy with so many things that I didn’t realize I missed acting,” he says, before adding with a laugh, “This had to happen.”

Martin is referring to the Broadway revival of Evita, which will open this month. The performer, who made his debut on the Great White Way nearly 16 years ago (as the love-struck Marius in Les Misérables), will headline this reportedly sexier restaging of Evita as Che, the rebellious voice of the people and antagonist to Argentinean first lady Eva Perón.

Che’s conflicting emotions are appealing to Martin. “I get to feel many things. I can go from anger to love to uncertainty within 30 minutes of the show,” he says. “That’s amazing because that’s what my life has been about for the last three years—feeling. Not sabotaging any kind of emotions. Letting everything just come through me and verbalize it. It’s a very spiritual exercise that I’ll do every night.”

But it’s the common cause Martin finds in his character’s desire to correct social injustices that really inspires him. “The man I’m portraying is all about the people and working for human rights,” Martin says. With the Ricky Martin Foundation, an organization committed to ending human trafficking and the exploitation of children, Martin too has been working for human rights. “And since I came out, I’ve been verbal about the importance of equality and what needs to be said. That’s what Che is about too. That is going to be my inspiration, my motivation every night.”

Read more of the interview at The Advocate.

Ricky Martin for The Advocate
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Rosie O’Donnell on the homophobia of Kirk Cameron

Rosie O’Donnell calls Kirk Cameron out for his “unchristlike” shaming of gays.

Rosie says if homosexuality was unnatural to gay people, “we wouldn’t be gay.”

Cameron appeared on Piers Morgan’s CNN talk show and when asked his opinion of homosexuality, said it’s “unnatural.” He continued, saying, “I think that it’s detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.”

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A personal recommendation: Jenica Peak Chardonnay

As listeners of my radio show – The Candi & Randy Show – know, I often shout out “more wine” at any given moment for fun and punctuation.

Due to certain health related issues – gout, for one – I pretty much only drink wine when I do drink. And so over the past several years I’ve spent time trying many wines to find those with the best taste and the best value.

Lately, I’ve found Jenica Peak Chardonnay to be one of the best “under $10 wines” out there.  This does not taste like a bargain wine at all.  Not too acidic, nice body and I just plain like it.

As I’m about to open a bottle right now, I thought I’d share with you. (And no, I get nothing for the endorsement).

Just sharing a little of my experience to help you have a nice evening with friends.

Find out more about Jenica Peak wines here.

More wine!

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Dad gets “born this way” tattoo in honor of his son

From the youtube description:

“So: my brother came out that he was bisexual last year and it was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do and one of the most courageous. He was most nervous about coming out to my old school Italian father who can be a bit of a hardass but mush at heart.”

“So my brother decided to get “born this way” tattooed on his wrist in Gaga’s handwriting after he met her, for obvious reasons, and it meant and still does a lot to him.”

My dad, yesterday before Dylan came home for spring break, got “born this way” in Italian tattooed on his wrist to show his acceptance and deep love for his only son who he is so proud of every day. I love my family.”