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25 things you don’t know about Anderson Cooper
NYC’s Bryant Park – 2,753 Empty Chairs – 9/11 Memorial
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Bryant Park’s normally bustling lawn was transformed into a solemn memorial Friday ahead of the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The park is on 40th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
Midtown office workers looking for a place to soak up the sun instead found the lawn lined with 2,753 empty chairs facing south toward the fallen towers — one to honor each person who died in the attacks.
The memorial will remain on display through September 11.
If cats could talk: “Pattycake”
I’m a dog guy, but the voice over on this is pretty funny…
For those who believe the Recovery Act of 2009 didn’t work…
Opponents of President Obama are very vocal in saying the Recovery Act of 2009 did not succeed or create ANY jobs. After last night’s speech by the President regarding his new American Jobs Act, that talk about the 2009 stimulus ratched up again.
The evidence actually shows the stimulus (and other stimulative measures, including those of the Fed) worked, but ended too soon, before the private sector was ready to walk on its own.
Take a look at the graph above.
The pattern in job growth reversed course soon after passage of the Recovery Act, and broke zero — net job growth — in March of 2010.
But that’s only half of what this simple graph shows. Another piece of information is even more important. As the stimulus fades, the positive trends begin to falter: both GDP and job growth slow significantly, and unemployment stagnates at a highly elevated level.
The message of this simple graph is itself very simple: the stimulus worked. It prevented recession from becoming depression.
Is this hard, kids?
(source info via Jared Bernstein)
Gorgeous warm sunrise glow & clearing skies over NYC
Another fantastic photo by a photographer I recently discovered, Inga Sarda-Sorensen.
Make sure you take a look at more of her work by clicking here.
President Obama’s Jobs Speech – in 35 seconds
Kellan Lutz – Calvin Klein Underwear
Just some research I’m doing for, ummm, an article I’m thinking of writing…
(yeah, that’s it…)
Michele Bachmann opposes President’s pro-economy tax cuts
After a rousing speech to a joint session of Congress where President Obama presented a job growth plan comprised mainly of Democratic/Republican backed ideas (that are almost completely tax cuts) to promote job growth, Rep. Michele Bachmann said she felt “deeply disappointed” by the president’s jobs speech Thursday and called on Congress to avoid passing his plan.
“Clearly what we saw was just a sequel of all of the failed policies that the president has put forward in the past,” Bachmann said in a post-debate speech.
Bachmann, who said she listened to the speech in the car while stuck in traffic (if that isn’t a metaphor, I don’t know what one is), gave her own response in the House gallery in the Capitol Thursday.
She said she was offended by President Barack Obama’s remarks asking Congress to “stop the political circus” and do something to help the economy.
Specifically, she blasted the president’s plan to prolong unemployment benefits, calling them poor incentives for people to get jobs.
“Not only should Congress not pass this plan,” Bachmann said. “I say, ‘Mr. President, stop. Your last plan hasn’t worked, and it’s hurting the American economy’.”
The GOP presidential candidate laid out her own nine-point plan, which included measures such as repealing Obama’s health care reform, repealing financial regulation reform, and increasing exports.
In other words, anything “anti-Obama.”
What is sad is Bachmann has devolved into the kind of political “character” that can be counted on, that when the President says ‘white’ – she says ‘black.’
It has little to do with actually helping the people of the United States. It has become an ugly play of gamesmanship.
Random thoughts on last night’s GOP Debate
Just a few random thoughts about last night’s NBC/Politico Republican debate…
1. Mitt Romney said that Mr. Obama had halted offshore drilling, blocked construction of new coal plants, slowed development of nuclear plants and failed to develop natural gas trapped in shale formations.
Not quite true. While President Obama declared a moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP spill in 2010, the government began granting permits again earlier this year and activity is approaching pre-spill levels. Also, the administration recently announced a major lease sale in the western Gulf of Mexico and gave provisional approval to a Shell project in the Arctic off the coast of Alaska.
2. Gov. Rick Perry repeated his claim that “the science is not settled” on the topic of global warming and whether humanity plays a part.
The scientific consensus on climate change is about as settled as any major scientific issue can be. The National Academy of Sciences, in an investigation requested by Congress, concluded last year: “Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused primarily by human activities, and poses significant risks to humans and the environment.”
3. Michele Bachmann said “Obamacare is killing jobs. We know that from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, but I know it firsthand from speaking to people. We see it this summer. There are 47 percent of African-American youth that are currently without jobs, 36 percent of Hispanic youth.”
The health care law passed last year has long been labeled a job killer by Republicans, who often cite a Congressional Budget Office analysis to buttress their claims. But the CBO never said the law would result in job losses. Instead it made the lesser assertion that fewer people may choose to work. “The legislation, on net, will reduce the amount of labor used in the economy by a small amount — roughly half a percent — primarily by reducing the amount of labor that workers choose to supply,” the CBO said in an analysis. That’s not job-killing, that’s workers choosing not to work because of easier access to health care.
Also, regarding Bachmann’s unemployment “statistics,” there is no evidence that the health care law is responsible. The health care law is largely unimplemented, with some of its key provisions not taking effect until 2014.
4. It is cynical to say out loud, but I believe that while the Republicans complain about the state of the economy they are actually making choices that keep the economy from improving – because to do so would help President Obama get re-elected.
I believe that when Sen. Mitch McConnell said “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term President,” he was speaking for the entire GOP in Washington, DC. He didn’t say “the single most important thing we want to achieve is reducing unemployment.” He didn’t say “the single most important thing we want to achieve is ending the wars abroad.” He didn’t say “the single most important thing we want to achieve is ending childhood hunger.”
I personally believe that the GOP is fine with a double dip recession if it gets them back in the White House.
If and when that happens, WATCH how fast the word “compromise” comes back into Republican fashion.
(fact sources – AP news; NYTimes.com)
Gareth Thomas tweets pic from American magazine shoot
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Openly gay Gay Welsh rugby icon Gareth Thomas tweeted this picture along with the following: “Boom boom boom. I’m back in the room. been a busy bee. check out this photo I did for American magazine;)”
According to AfterElton, he almost instantly got some ribbing from his former teammate and occasional model Nick Youngquest, who told him he just wasn’t ripped enough to model.
I think he looks perfectly fine…