What Caught My Eye Today - Palestine, Presidential Luncheons, Apocalypse

Palestine - The Palestinians are certain to win U.N. recognition as a state today. Interesting. With most of the 193 General Assembly member states sympathetic to the Palestinians, the vote is certain to succeed. Several key countries, including France, have recently announced they would support the move to elevate the Palestinians from the status of U.N. observer to nonmember observer state. The Palestinians say they need U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the lands Israel captured in 1967, to be able to resume negotiations with Israel. One presumes that Palestine is looking for some sort of political advantage, as I'm pretty sure the Israelis would like nothing more than to continue negotiations with Palestine's political status remaining just as it is. The non-member observer state status could also open the way for possible war crimes charges against the Jewish state at the International Criminal Court. And that there, my friends, is what you call political leverage--something the Palestinians are desperate to gain and Israeli are equally determined to avoid. The Palestinians turned to the General Assembly after the United States announced it would veto their bid last fall for full U.N. membership until there is a peace deal with Israel. Unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the General Assembly and the resolution to raise the Palestinian status from an observer to a nonmember observer state only requires a majority vote for approval. To date, 132 countries — over two-thirds of the U.N. member states — have recognized the state of Palestine. The Palestinians have been courting Western nations, especially the Europeans, seen as critical to enhancing their international standing. A number have announced they will vote "yes" including France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. Those opposed or abstaining include the U.S., Israel, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia.Popular belief back in the day was that the world was flat. In more recent times, women had no business voting, and same sex marriage was unthinkable.  Lo and below, people accepted that the world was no flat, women's votes were every bit as important as men's (Just ask President Obama), and same-sex marriage is gaining more acceptance with each passing day.  My point here is that pretty much everyone (Israel and the United States included) knows that Palestine will eventually become an independent state. So why is it that we have to go through all this drama to get to where we all know we are going to end up.

Presidential Luncheons - President Barack Obama is having Mitt Romney over for lunch. Obama and Romney were bitter rivals in the 2012 presidential campaign, with Obama getting a surprisingly big victory in the Electoral College. Since then, Romney has stayed out of the spotlight, while Obama said he would invite Romney to the White House at some point. Wouldn't you just love to be a fly on the wall for that meal? I wonder what they'll be serving and whether or not they allow any sharp objects in the room. Several theories are floating around about the get-together:

• Obama is extending a common courtesy - In 2008, President-elect Obama met with John McCain and there was a photo op with the two men. At the time, McCain said he would “obviously” help the incoming president, and the former foes issued a statement about bipartisanship. It is unclear if there is a tradition of losing presidential candidates meeting with incumbent presidents. Yeah, this totally makes sense. Romney loses and election that he has spent the better part of 8 years preparing for, then gets dissed by the entire Republican party for whom he was the standard bearer this entire election. So why wouldn't he jump at the chance for Obama to pour a bit more salt in the wound.
• Obama will offer Romney a Cabinet job - That doesn’t seem likely, since Romney is self-supporting financially and has a life outside politics. Also, as a Cabinet member, Romney would be reporting to Obama, which also would be interesting, given the mutual dislike between the candidates on the campaign trail. "Doesn't seem likely"? I don't know about that. Just this morning, pink elephants came flying out of my butt and pigs had sprouted wings and blanketed the sky. So if you think about, this is totally within the realm of possibility.
• Obama will enlist Romney in the fiscal cliff debate - Obama was critical of Romney’s philosophy about the fiscal cliff, especially his attacks on entitlement spending. However, one of Romney’s ideas on the campaign trail, a cap of income tax deductions for wealthier Americans, might become part of the negotiations in Congress in December. This actually does seem plausible, but how much good would it really do? It's not like Romney has much sway with the GOP anymore.
• Obama wants Romney’s advice on business issues - President Obama praised Romney’s business acumen after the campaign. Again plausible, but to what end? Romney will likely say the same thing that we all know to be true. You cannot spend what you don't have and not expect to postpone the day of reckoning indefinitely.
• Obama wants closure on the 2012 presidential election -  Obama said after the election that he was interested in talking with Romney about ways the two men could work together. One theory is that Obama could just want to be consistent in how he publicly handles his consecutive wins in 2008 and 2012, and it would be a slight to Romney if he didn’t extend a similar invitation for a sit-down meeting. Dude you won the election, how much more closure do you need?

Apocalypse - For those of you who keep track of this sort of thing, 22 days until the end of the world and 23 days until those of us who through caution to the wind and got lit up will be in the throes of a major hangover. NASA scientists took questions via social media, debunking 2012 Mayan apocalypse rumors, from the rogue planet Nibiru to the danger of killer solar flares. These rumors are based on misinterpretations of the Mayan calendar. On the 21st, the date of the winter solstice, a calendar cycle called the 13th b'ak'tun comes to an end. Rumors have spread that a cosmic event may end life on Earth on that day. Thus NASA's involvement. The space agency maintains a 2012 information page debunking popular Mayan apocalypse rumors, such as the idea that a rogue planet will hit Earth on Dec. 21, killing everyone. Oh my god, they really did (Beyond 2012: Why the World Won't End). Always nice to see our tax dollars being spend on such worthy endeavors. Popular consensus among scientists worldwide is that the greatest threat to Earth in 2012, at the end of this year and in the future, is from the human race itself. I'm going with the experts on this one.

Did You Know? #13

Whose Twitter account has the most followers?

1. Lady Gaga (30 million followers worldwide)
2. Justin Bieber (28.6 million)
3. Katy Perry (28.2 million)
4. Rihanna (26.1 million)
5. Britney Spears (20.8 million)
6. Barack Obama (20.5 million) - highest ranked account representing a politician
7. Taylor Swift (19.2 million)
8. Shakira (18.3 million) - highest ranked account based outside the United States
9. YouTube (17.5 million) - highest account not representing an individual
10. Kim Kardashian (16.2 million)

What Caught My Eye Today - Ghana, Mathematics, Presidential Gifts, College Football

Ghana - In Ghana, where deeply held religious beliefs unite much of the population, a new group, the Humanist Association of Ghana, has formed around a shared disbelief in religion. Humanism is a philosophy based on emphasizing humans over deities or religious texts. Us God-fearing folk have a name for types like this--heretic. While many humanists are atheists, it’s not required, and some humanists believe that you can practice the philosophy while still being religious. Nonetheless, humanism is seen as at best an oddity and at worst an offense in deeply devout Ghana. A recent survey said that 96% of Ghanaians are religious, the highest percentage of the 57 countries polled. Really? I would have gone with Italy or Mexico, but Ghana?   Nigeria came in second, with 93% of people claiming religion. About 70% of Ghanaians are Christians, 17% are Muslim, and the remainders belong to traditional religions or other theologies. Atheists are a tiny minority in Ghana; so tiny, in fact, that survey said 0% of Ghanaians identified as such. But not believing is becoming prevalent worldwide. The number of religious people dropped globally by 9% since 2005, according to the survey, while the number of atheists rose by 3%. The poll also showed that less prosperous countries tended to be more religious, while the ranks of the faithful were thinner in countries with more money. I'm probably in the minority here, what with religion being a rather emotional topic for many, but I don't see what the big deal is. Believe in a higher power or don't. To me this is a personal matter for individuals to decide for themselves and should not be subject to public scrutiny. To be honest, I think there is something to be said for having a little faith in humankind. For the record. I'm far from what one would call a practicing Catholic but have no qualms about my religious affiliation. 

 Mathematics - You all might want to sit down for this next item. Difficulties with math can cause some people to feel genuine pain. I knew it!  A recent study examined the brains of people with high levels of math anxiety as they performed algebra problems. For me it was trigonometry. While the volunteers waited for each question, the dorso-posterior insula, the region of the brain involved in processing pain, became especially active. The same region also appears to register intense emotional anguish, like the feelings surrounding a bad breakup. I'm going to have to disagree with this one. Solving for x was so much easier on my mental well being than that time in high school when my girlfriend ripped out my heart and left me an emotional cripple. Luckily, I'm so over that. The dorso-posterior insula became active only while volunteers waited to receive their next problem, now while they were actually doing it, leading researchers to conclude that it is not the math itself that hurts, but rather the anticipation of it. Don't I feel foolish. Here I was thinking that jumping of the cliff wasn't the painful part, but smashing into the ground was. Consider me enlightened.

Presidential Gifts - Great news everyone. You know those gift baskets that you sent to the President when he won a second term? He might have actually gotten to keep. Whenever President Barack Obama receives a gift, it's fate comes down to who gave the gift and how much it cost. If a foreign leader gives a present valued at under $350, the president can keep it. But if it costs a penny more, it is considered a gift to the American people. The State Department catalogs the worth of each gift the president receives and the haul is usually stored in the National Archive until it becomes part of the presidential library. If the President really wants one of these gifts, he is allowed to purchase it from the American people at market value. If an American citizen sends a gift, the President is free to keep it under one stipulation: He has to pay taxes on the gift. Yo POTUS, you know those Cuban cigars that I didn't send you? Those Coronas Gigantes might have set me back two c-notes, but you would so totally be worth it, my man.  Gifts the president rejects are usually sent to the National Archives or given to charity.

College Football - I don't usually like to brag about my alma mater (mostly because there is rarely an occasion to do so), but my Spartan blue and gold have managed something quite extraordinary. San Jose State has 10 wins for the seventh time in school history. This is the first time the Spartans have won 10 games since 1987. San Jose State is enjoying its best showing of the season in national polls released a day after their victory over Louisiana Tech. The Spartans received 78 votes in The Associated Press poll, more than any other team not in the Top 25; they received 105 votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, second-most among unranked teams; and they are ranked 25th in the Bowl Championship Series. I took a snapshot of the BCS rankings for posterity (that and the fact that I'm not sure this will happen again in my lifetime). A bowl game victory would give them 11 wins for the first time in more than 70 years. San Jose State declared itself a major college football program in 1950.

What Caught My Eye Today - Secession, Healthcare, Twinkies, Space

Secession - Interesting how secession seems all the rage this week. You may recall from earlier this week, that 20 states had started petitions to secede from the United States.  That number has increased...alot. Petitions signed by hundreds of thousands of Americans seeking permission for their states to peacefully secede from the union have now been filed for all 50 states on the White House website. So like would we replace "United States" with "Independent States" of America? Texas is in the lead with more than 99,000, and a total of 7 states had accumulated more than 25,000 signatures, the threshold needed to trigger an official response from the Obama administration. I'm thinking that response should read something like this: "I won. Get over it. If you don't like it, leave." Collectively, the secession petitions now have more than 700,000 digital signatures. Meanwhile, residents of Austin, Texas' stubbornly liberal stronghold, have petitioned the White House to allow the city to "withdraw from the state of Texas [and] remain part of the United States." Good for you, Austin. Maybe you could build a wall around the city borders. I seem to recall that sort of thing has been done before. Anyone remember the Berlin Wall? Sure they tore theirs down after a few decades, but that shouldn't deter Austinians from protecting their way of life.  The petitions are little more than symbolic—and nothing new. Similar petitions were filed after the 2004 and 2008 elections. And at least one petition filed on the site asks that the president sign an executive order to strip U.S. citizenship from anyone who signed a petition to secede and requests that they are "peacefully deported." Yeah. Kick those treasonous malcontents out.

Healthcare - After two years of political battles and a Supreme Court case, many states are telling the federal government if they're willing carry out a key part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. As I understand it, the temper tantrums in conservative strongholds are starting to wind down and the folks in charge are grudgingly getting back to their day jobs--you know, the jobs they were elected to do. At issue is the creation of new health insurance markets, where millions of middle-class households and small businesses will shop for private coverage. The so-called exchanges will open for business in 2014, and most of their customers will be eligible for government subsidies to help pay premiums. The exchanges will also steer low-income people into expanded Medicaid programs, if states choose to broaden their safety net coverage. Twenty-one states plus the District of Columbia, have already indicated they want to become involved, either by building and running their own exchanges or partnering with Washington. I'm sure it is purely coincidental that the majority of these states tend to be more liberal. Thirteen states have indicated they will default to the federal government, allowing Washington to set up and run their exchanges. Equally fascinating, it appears most of these states are more conservative. Imagine that. The health care law provided that the feds would run exchanges in states that were not ready or willing to do so. In this group are states whose Republican governors have staunchly opposed the law, including Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina. Here is the lay of the land as of now:

Twinkies - As we all know, there is the very real possibility that the world will come to an end in December, if you have any faith in Mayan prognostication skills. I'm a Nostrodamus guy myself, but I digress. Still you cannot dispute that signs of an apocalypse are popping up all around us. Here's the latest sign.  Hostess, the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, plans to go out of business, lay off its 18,500 workers and sell its snack cake and bread brands. What fresh hell is this? No Twinkies. Why don't they just cut out my heart and stomp on it while they are at it?  Hostess has said that production at about a dozen of the company's 33 plants has been seriously affected by the strike. Three plants were closed earlier this week. The company, founded in 1930, was fighting battles beyond labor costs. Competition is increasing in the snack space and Americans are increasingly conscious about healthy eating. Look people, I hate to break it to you, but regardless of how healthy you try to be, you will someday. Heck, you could get hit by lightning tomorrow.  Live a little. Have a Twinkie...while you still can.

Space - A new celestial wonder has stolen the title of most distant object ever seen in the universe. The new record holder is the galaxy MACS0647-JD, which is about 13.3 billion light-years away. As I have said many times before, I have a thing for space. Even so, these astronomer folk need to do a better job of naming stuff. MACS0647-JD doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, you know.  Maybe they could get Paris Hilton or one of the Kardashians to come up with some names that have a bit more pizzazz. The universe itself is only 13.7 billion years old, so this galaxy's light has been traveling toward us for almost the whole history of space and time. Astronomers spotted the object using NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The distant galaxy is just a tiny blob, and is much smaller than the Milky Way. The mini galaxy is less than 600 light-years wide. By comparison, the Milky Way is 150,000 light-years across. The galaxy is also very young, and it also dates from an epoch when the universe itself was still a baby, just 420 million years old, or 3 percent of its present. I think one of the things that draws me to items like this is the enormity of what we are talking about.  A couple of extra pounds around the waistline doesn't seem like such a big deal when you are looking at a body that is 150,000 light-years wide. Yeah, yeah I know, it's a bit of a stretch, but the holidays are coming and I need an out for that inevitable holiday bulge.

Did You Know? #12

How many U.S. Presidents have served two non-consecutive terms?

One.  There have been 43 people sworn into office, and 44 presidencies, as Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is counted chronologically as both the 22nd and 24th president. Of the individuals elected as president, four died in office of natural causes (William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt), four were assassinated (Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy) and one resigned (Richard Nixon). William Henry Harrison spent the shortest time in office with 32 days in 1841, and Franklin D. Roosevelt spent the longest with over twelve years, but died shortly into his fourth term in 1945. He is the only president to serve more than two terms. History records four presidents (John Q Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison and George W Bush) who lost the popular vote but won in the electoral college and assumed office.

What Caught My Eye Today - Oil, Argentina, Nigeria, China, Egypt, Pardons, Wikipedia

Oil - The International Energy Agency (IEA) said The United States will overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world's top oil producer by 2017, and saw a continued fall in U.S. oil imports with North America becoming a net oil exporter by around 2030 and the United States becoming almost self-sufficient in energy by 2035. Is this awesome news or what? Just think, in 23 years, gas prices might actually drop. Oh happy day. This could have significant geopolitical implications, if Washington feels its strategic interests are no longer as embedded in the Middle East and other volatile oil producing regions. Come again? I thought we were engaged in the Middle East to prompt democracy and world peace. These guys make is sound like we have ulterior motive of a more selfish nature.  The IEA said it saw U.S. oil production rising to 10 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2015 and 11.1 million bpd in 2020 before slipping to 9.2 million bpd by 2035. As I understand it, most of the domestic increase in production is expected to come from hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") which will result in pretty substantial output for 10 to 15 years, but drop off significantly after that. Saudi Arabian oil output would be 10.9 million bpd by 2015, the IEA said, 10.6 million bpd in 2020 but would rise to 12.3 million bpd by 2035. OPEC's share of world oil production will rise to 48% from 42% now. The U.S. oil boom would accelerate a switch in the direction of international oil trade, the IEA said, predicting that by 2035 almost 90% of oil from the Middle East would be drawn to Asia. A rise of 1.8 billion in the world's population to 8.6 billion would lead to a spike in global oil demand by more than 10% to over 99 million bpd by 2035. So basically, the dream of lower gas prices in 20 or so years is basically just that--a dream. See oil is a global commodity, so even if the U.S. produces more oil, the price will be dictated by global demand. Why would a U.S. oil producer sell its produce for less at home than it could get by exporting it abroad?

Argentina - Argentina has lowered its voting age to 16, a move that could help current President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who is popular among the young. Isn't that nice? Giving today's youth and tomorrow's leaders an opportunity to have their voices heard. Bravo, Argentina. Bravo. Dozens of opposition members in Parliament boycotted the vote on the law, saying the change was aimed at packing Parliament with Fernandez supporters in next year's midterm elections. My, my. Aren't we a cynical lot. Voting is compulsory for those 18 and over but will be optional for 16- and 17-year olds. Makes sense to me. One should be mindful that some youths have earlier bedtimes than others. Speaking of which, in a related article on the same topic, there was some concern that young voters might somehow be unduly influenced by their parents to vote the same as Mom and Dad. I don't know about that. Not many teens seem to give a flying fig what their parents want them to do.

Nigeria - Secessionists in Nigeria have re-declared the independence of the Republic of Biafra. Sounds like the name of drug, doesn't it? Biafra...the little blue pill for those who can't afford Viagra. The original declaration, in 1967, sparked a 3 year civil war in Nigeria that killed more than 1 million people and ended in Biafran defeat. Some 500 people held a brief demonstration and again raise the Biafran flag before begin arrested and charged with treason. 500 people. Really, they call that a secessionist movement? Must be a slow news day in Nigeria. Heck, the day after Barack Obama won a second term, 20 states had started secessionist petitions. Texas had 20,000 signatures alone. Among the detained was the head of the Biafran Zionist Movement who pledged to create a country "at equal par with world economic powers in Europe, Asia and America." Look out China. You might be aiming for #1, but you better look over your shoulder. The Biafrans, all 500 of them, are nipping at your heels.

China - Speaking of #1. Turns out it is not all it's good being at the top of the food chain. Prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, associated with inactivity and obesity, has more than tripled in China over the past decade as Chinese people adopt a more Western diet and lifestyle. China has more than 90 million diabetics, compared with 24 million in the U.S., and over the next two decades it expects another 40 million to acquire the condition. And this, boys and girls, is why if you are looking for a job, you might want to consider a career in health services. It's quite the growth industry and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Egypt - For the first time in 41 years, Egypt's Coptic Christians have a new pope, after a blindfolded child picked the winner from a bowl containing 3 names. I guess that is one way to go. Sort of lacks the showmanship of the Roman Catholic conclave, but why not. Maybe all the hype is associated with picking the lucky lad or lass who gets to draw the winning pope. Pope Tawadros II, formerly a little known rural bishop, takes over a church that was long allied with the Mubarak regime, which it saw as its protector in the mostly Muslim country. Tawadros says he will vigorously defend Christian rights now that an Islamist government rules Egypt and warned against drafting a new constitution that enforces Islamic law. Good luck with that, your holiness. 

Pardons - President Barack Obama has been very stingy in dispensing presidential pardons, pardoning just 22 individuals while denying 1,019, a rate of roughly 1 out of every 50 applications.  Who knew the Prez was such a hard ass? At this point in they presidencies, Ronald Reagan had pardoned 1 of every 3 applicants, George H. W. Bush had pardoned 1 in 16, Bill Clinton had pardoned 1 in 8, and George W. Bush had pardoned 1 in 33. I totally get the Clinton and Bush 43's ratios, but what up, Gipper? One in 3 sounds really, really generous. 

Wikipedia - Wikipedia has essentially finish cataloging the world's current knowledge. With 4 million entries, the collaborative Internet encyclopedia is running out of new topics and old topics to edit. So like does that mean there are only 4 million things worth knowing? If so, I'm like half way to knowing everything. A few more years and I really will be a know-it-all. Sweet.

What Caught My Eye Today - 2012 Presidential Election, Potpourri, 2016 Presidential Election

2012 Presidential Election: Most results from last Tuesday's U.S. election are now in. While Congress is basically unchanged in terms of balance of power, Democrats had a much better night than Republicans. Incumbent president Barack Obama had a very good night, winning 8 of 9 swing states (North Carolina went to Mitt Romney). Here's how things panned out:

Potpourri - As we close out this election (Hallelujah!), I give you a 2012 Presidential Election edition of Potpourri.

• While the presidential race may have been close in the United States, it was a landslide for Obama in the rest of the world. In a survey of 21,797 people in 21 countries, 50% preferred an Obama victory, while just 9% preferred Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. The only nation in which Romney was more popular was Pakistan, where he edged out Obama 14% to 11%. You sort of have to wonder who got the other 75% of the vote in Pakistan, don't you?
• In every presidential election since 1980, women have voted at a higher rate than men. In 2008, 60.4% of women voted, compare with 55.7% of men. Seeing as Obama won the female vote by 12 points over Romney, you can see how Obama got a second term.  The gap in other demographics is even more striking.  Bottom line...white males just don't have the same sway that they used to. Perhaps someone should send that memo to the GOP.
• More than 58,000 campaign ads were broadcast in the month leading up to the election in Ohio. To view them all, you would have had to watch ads 24 hours a day for 80 days. I suppose that is one advantage to living is a non-battleground state. Honestly, would it be that bad for the country if we had a national primary day and cut the election cycle down from 4 freaking years to just a few months? No offense to Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio or any of the other battleground states, but why shouldn't my vote be considered as valuable as one of the votes from these states?
• This was the most negative presidential campaign in modern history. 86% of President Obama's television ads and 79% of Mitt Romney's were negative. By comparison, Obama and John McCain spent an average of 69% of their TV budgets on negative ads in 2008, and George W Bush and John Kerry spent 58% in 2004. Attitude reflects leadership, my friends.  That's all I'm saying.

2016 Presidential Race - Oh come on! Are you serious? The 2016 campaign is closer than you think. Kill me. Kill me now, I'm begging you.  In some subtle ways, the jockeying to succeed Barack Obama or Mitt Romney already has begun. Already, rising star Republicans and Democrats have started making the circuit of political party dinners in Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire and South Carolina as they seek to introduce themselves to the early primary voters trusted to cull the field.

For the Democrats, all eyes are on Clinton, the secretary of state who professes no interest but would have a clear advantage if she runs for the nomination that eluded her in 2008. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, too, is being talked about heavily in Democratic circles. Maryland's Martin O'Malley appears to be laying groundwork and snagged a plumb gig in September, as the guest of Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin at his annual steak-fry fundraiser in the state that traditionally holds the kick-off caucuses. Other governors who may weigh bids: Colorado's John Hickenlooper, Massachusetts' Deval Patrick and Montana's Brian Schweitzer. Keep an eye, too, on mayors like Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, who co-chaired the Democratic convention and headlined the Iowa Democratic Party's annual fall fundraising dinner in Des Moines last month, following a long line of would-be presidential candidates. And another potential: mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio, who delivered the keynote address. Truth be told, other than Clinton and Cuomo, I haven't heard of most of these names. I can see Cuomo throwing his hat in along with Villaraigosa and Castro, given the rise of the Hispanic vote, but I'm still not sure about Hillary.  2008 was pretty brutal and she had a great run as Secretary of State these past 4 years.

The list of Republicans who could step up is lengthy. Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, this year's vice presidential nominee, would be toward the front of the pack if he ran. So, presumably, would a slate of governors -- Chris Christie of New Jersey, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, John Kasich of Ohio and Scott Walker of Wisconsin. From the Senate, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul could play for the tea party mantle, with the latter viewed as the heir to father Ron Paul's loyal base of libertarian-minded followers. So could Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a GOP sensation only two years into a Senate term. Former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum, the runner-up to Romney, could give it another go. And former Florida Governor Jeb Bush hasn't ruled anything out. Interestingly, I am much more familiar with this lot.  While much will depend on how the GOP re-tools its image (if it tries) and the mid-term elections, I have to believe Bush 3.0 (Jeb that is) and Rubio will certainly make a run at it. Chris Christie would make things entertaining, but may have alienated the conservative base too much by the time 2016 rolls around.

What Caught My Eye Today - Presidential Election Results

Presidential Election Results - Here's how the election results unfolded from my couch last night (my sources of truth for the evening were PBS, NBC and the Associated Press):

7:00pm ET: 435 House seats up for election. 33 Senate seats up for election.
7:00pm ET: Polls close in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.
7:06pm ET: Kentucky (8) to Romney; Vermont (3) to Obama.
7:30pm ET: Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.
7:30pm ET: Indiana (11) to Romney.
8:00pm ET: Polls close in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington DC.
8:00pm ET: South Carolina (9) to Romney.
8:08pm ET: Oklahoma (7), West Virginia (5) to Romney.
8:08pm ET: Connecticut (7), Delaware (3), Illinois (20), Maine (4), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (11), Washington DC (3) to Obama.
8:27pm ET: Tennessee (11) to Romney.
8:30pm ET: Polls close in Arkansas.
8:41pm ET: Georgia (16) to Romney.
8:58pm ET: Alabama (9), Mississippi (6) to Romney.
9:00pm ET: Polls close in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
9:01pm ET: House Results: 67 Republican; 38 Democrat.
9:01pm ET: Senate Results: 1 Republican; 6 Democrat; 2 Independent.
9:08pm ET: Kansas (6), Louisiana (8), Nebraska (5), South Dakota (3), Texas (38), Wyoming (3) to Romney.
9:08pm ET: Michigan (16), New York (29) to Obama.
9:13pm ET: North Dakota (3) to Romney.
9:20pm ET: Arkansas (6) to Romney.
9:22pm ET: House Results: 67 Republican; 38 Democrat.
9:22pm ET: Senate Results: 4 Republican; 9 Democrat; 2 Independent.
9:31pm ET: New Jersey (14) to Obama.
9:40pm ET: House Results: 95 Republican; 52 Democrat.
9:40pm ET: Senate Results: 4 Republican; 9 Democrat; 2 Independent.
10:00pm ET: Polls close in Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Utah.
10:02pm ET: Montana (3), Utah (6) to Romney.
10:02pm ET: New Hampshire (4), New Mexico, Pennsylvania (20), Wisconsin (10) to Obama.
10:17pm ET: House Results: 136 Republican; 82 Democrat.
10:17pm ET: Senate Results: 5 Republican; 14 Democrat; 2 Independent.
10:35pm ET: Minnesota (10) to Obama.
10:38pm ET: Arizona (11) to Romney.
10:52pm ET: Missouri (10) to Romney.
10:55pm ET: House Results: 160 Republican; 95 Democrat.
11:00pm ET: Polls close in California, Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington.
11:04pm ET: Idaho (4) to Romney.
11:04pm ET: California (55), Hawaii (4), Oregon (7), Washington (12) to Obama.
11:11pm ET: Iowa (6) to Obama.
11:15pm ET: CNN first to call election for Obama.
11:17pm ET: North Carolina (15) to Romney.
11:17pm ET: Ohio (18) to Obama. Obama tops 270 electoral votes to win the election.
1:00am ET: Polls close in Alaska.
1:02am ET: Alaska (3) to Romney.

Overnight developments:

Colorado (9), Nevada (6), Virginia (13) to Obama.
Florida (29) still too close to call.
Obama leads Romney in Electoral College votes 303 to 206.
Obama leads Romney in popular vote 59.9 million to 57.2 million.
Democrats pick up 2 Senate seats; two seats still too close to call though Democrats lead in both contests (Montana, North Dakota).
Balance of power in the Senate: 51 Democrat; 2 Independent (to caucus with Democrats); 45 Republican.
Democrats predicted to pick up 5 House seats.; 13 seats still too close to call.

The pollsters pretty much nailed it. Other than Florida, which looks likely to go to Obama, the Electoral College went as expected.  In Congress, Democrats are expected to make some slight gains in the Senate (+2) and the House (+5), but even there, the pollsters were on the money. 

As I understand it, more than $6 billion was spent on the 2012 election (presidential and congressional races). That seems like a lot of investment to maintain the status quo, but an analyst on NPR made the following observation--more money ($8 billion) was spent on Halloween costumes and candy than on the 2012 election.

Lest you fear withdrawals now that the 2012 election is over, fear not. We have Armageddon (in the form of the fiscal cliff) coming up in January and mid-term elections are a mere 2 years away.

What Caught My Eye Today - Presidential Election

Presidential Election - It's hard to believe, but the 2012 election is just a day away. 1,463 days of campaigning have brought us to this moment. My how time flies. Let's see where things stands one day before the main event. First Congress. After all is said and done, the composition of both the Senate and House looks likely to remain exactly the same. Democrats will continue to maintain a slim majority in the Senate while Republicans maintain a healthy majority in the House. For as many of us that think the 112th Congress is doing a lousy job--and at last check 83% us fall into that category--it seems rather odd that we appear to be headed toward another two years of the status quo.

Speaking of status quo, if you are a supporter of the incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama, the math seems to be going your way. For the first time in a couple of weeks, polls show Obama is leading Republican challenger, Mitt Romney (Did you know that Romney's first name is Willard?) in both the popular vote and in the Electoral College. So if the votes that actually do matter bear out what the polls are telling, Obama will get four more years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Are you kidding me? Four years of campaigning, billions of dollars on political ads, and we're going to end up exactly where we started? Can someone please explain to me why we cannot conduct an election in 6 weeks the way every other free nation does?  Clearly dragging these things out over 4 years doesn't really seem to make much of a difference.

One final word before the election, or rather one final number. While there can be only one winner (gee, I wonder who the Supreme Court will choose as the winner), the loser can take solace in this. Regardless of what happens on November 6, on November 7, it is a mere 1,464 days until November 8, 2016.

Here are the poll numbers through Nov 4 (courtesy of the fine folks at Election Projection and the NY Times):

Did You Know? #11

What is the most popular candy bar in the United States (based on sales)?

1. Snickers ($424.1 million)
2. Reese's ($420.5 million)
3. M&M's ($417.3 million)
4. Hershey ($261.4 million)
5. Kit Kat ($209.9 million)
6. Twix ($194.0 million)
7. 3 Musketeers ($101.5 million)
8. Hershey Cookies & Cream ($82.8 million)
9. Milky Way ($72.0 million)
10. Almond Joy ($65.6 million)

What Caught My Eye Today - Hurricane Sandy, Presidential Election, Star Wars, Coffee

Hurricane Sandy - Hurricane Sandy is officially the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, with winds spanning 1,100 miles and is estimated in early calculations to have caused damage of at least $55 billion. That is one big mamba-jamba. Over twenty states were in one way or another affected by Sandy in the United States. The hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States, destroyed thousands of homes, left millions without electric service, and killed 82 (as of Nov 1). From October 27th through early November 1st, airlines cancelled a total of 19,729 flights. As of early morning on November 1, just over 4.8 million customers remained without power this morning in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Over the course of the reporting on this storm I was intrigued by one headline in particular and the amount of time spent talking about it. Is it a hurricane, a post-tropical cyclone, a superstorm--what do you call it? My personal preference is big mamba-jamba; but the point I want to make is this--who cares what call it. I pretty sure the millions of people who were affected by the it. How about we just call it Sandy. A fitting name if every there was one. Gender neutral, so why not meteorologically neutral too. At any rate, you have to figure it would take an event of epic proportions to sideline the presidential campaigns a week before Election Day. Sandy certain lived up to her/his/its billing.

Presidential Election - Both presidential campaigns say they have momentum heading into the home stretch. Interesting. I would have thought one of these guys would have thrown in the towel by now. Who's got the stronger case? The polls provide some support for each camp: Obama is leading in enough swing states to win the electoral college while Romney surged in the national polls to take a slight lead after the Denver debate. I love polls. Something for everyone. No losers here. Of course, there are no winners either. As it turns out, no one ever won an election based on the polls. I recall reading somewhere (I think it was the Constitution) that the president had to be elected by actual votes. Here are six signs that each side is right — three points for Romney winning in the final six days of the race, and three for Obama:

• Romney is now contesting blue states. Ah yes, the liberals are finally seeing Obama's failed policies for what they really are...failures.
• He's coasting on momentum from the Denver debate. Proof positive that Obama is all talk and no substance.
• The math adds up for a Romney win. Trust us, we know how to add.
• Hurricane Sandy is wind in the president's sails. Nothing like a natural disaster to pull the nation together behind the guy in charge, especially when he looks like he's in charge.
• Obama's gaining or maintaining in the swing states. Proof positive that Romney is all talk and no substance. Wait a minute? Didn't I just say that.
• Obama is edging ahead nationally. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

One of my favorite 2008 election websites was FiveThirtyEight.com run by Nate Silver. Boyfriend cashed in after that and now collects a paycheck from the NY Times. (What! You can make money by blogging?) Regardless, this dude is wicked good with his models. If that trend continues, Obama won't have to call the movers for another 4 years.

Fred's Note:  It's been a pretty tough week for a lot of people, so with that in mind, we'll lighten things up with these last two items...a lot.

Star Wars - The force is strong with Mickey Mouse. So check it out. You can translate English into Yoda speak...seriously (click here).  That first sentence goes something like this--"Strong with mickey mouse, the force is.  Hmm". Let's see how this works as we continue with this story. In one of the most momentous entertainment industry acquisitions of the last 30 years, Disney is paying $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind "Star Wars," from its chairman and founder, George Lucas. It's also making a seventh movie in the "Star Wars" series called "Episode 7," set for release in 2015, with plans to follow it with Episodes 8 and 9 and then one new movie every two or three years. The deal includes Lucasfilm's prized high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise. The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC, all companies that Disney has acquired over the years. People took to Twitter immediately following the news. To twitter immediately following the news people took.  Some expressed excitement at the prospect of a new trilogy, but many were displeased that Disney would be taking over the reigns. One fan's disapproval was quickly expressed in an image depicting three death stars in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. Quickly expressed in an image depicting three death stars in the shape of mickey mouse's head, one fan's disapproval was. Another compared the deal to Superstorm Sandy: "...Focus on one major disaster at [a] time!" Incidentally, the plot details around "Episode 7" are scant, but Lucas has dropped these hints over the years: It takes place a few decades after "Return of the Jedi," continues the story of Luke Skywalker, and would deal with the rebuilding of the republic. Final thought; which is more disturbing--that there is not one, but several Yoda-speak translators on the 'Net or that I took the time to actually try one out?

Coffee - A British department store is hoping to clear up any confusion caused by complicated coffee names -- like "cappuccino," "latte," "mocha" and "black coffee" -- and replacing them with descriptive terms "frothy coffee," "really really milky coffee," "chocolate flavored coffee," and "simple coffee, with or without milk" as part of a campaign to translate menus into "plain English." Leave it to the English to embrace sanity for the good of all humankind. It's about bloody time. Where other companies use labels like "tall" (small), "grande" (large) or "venti" (extra large), the store will only offer coffee in a "cup" or "mug" size.  You know what we need? I'll tell you... a Starbucks-speak translator. Oh dear god, there's one of those too (click here).

Did You Know? #10

What is the World's most popular beer?

10. Asahi Super Dry (Japan) - 12.3 million barrels
9. Brahma (Brazil) - 17.4 million barrels
8. Miller Lite (USA) - 18 million barrels
7. Coors Light (USA) - 18.2 million barrels
6. Heineken (Netherlands) - 26 million barrels
5. Skol (Denmark) - 29.5 million barrels
4. Corona (Mexico) - 30.4 million barrels
3. Budweiser (USA) - 38.7 million barrels
2. Bud Light (USA) - 45.4 million barrels
1. Snow (China) - 50.8 million barrels

What Caught My Eye Today - Barack Obama's Foreign Policy Plan

Fred's Note: It occurs to me that in recent posts regarding the upcoming U.S. Presidential election that I am guilty of doing the same thing as various media outlets by rendering opinions on statements that I may have taken out of context. To be fair, I'm not a professional journalist and doubt very much that my blog will ever reach the critical mass that the New York Times does. However, the information is readily available to anyone who truly wants to make an informed decision come Election Day in November. With that in mind, over the next several days and weeks, I'll be posting excerpts from the websites of both the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and the incumbent Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. It goes without saying that I will be adding some color commentary, but the content will be from the candidates themselves. 

Okay, boys and girls, this is the last one--Barack Obama's foreign policy plan.  Compared to Romney's plan (click here), the Obama plan seems almost non-existent.  My take is that if Obama wins a second term, we're likely to see more of the same.  Seriously though, not a single mention of Canada or Europe from either candidate? Where is the love, people?


President Obama has restored America’s standing across the globe and kept his promise to be a strong and responsible leader on foreign policy.

• Bringing our troops home from Afghanistan: President Obama is drawing down our troops in Afghanistan as we transition security responsibility to the Afghan people, and is on track to responsibly end the war there in 2014. Of course there is the little matter of that 10 year security agreement Obama signed with Afghanistan, but I guess there is a separate accounting of the troops that will be required to support that effort.
• A severely weakened al Qaeda: President Obama made the bold decision to order a raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, eliminating the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks and the only leader al Qaeda had ever known. I don't think anyone disputes that this was a gutsy call and a huge feather in Obama's cap, but it is not clear to me how this translates into a foreign policy plan for the next four years.
• Making progress toward a world without nuclear weapons: In 2010, President Obama announced an international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials in four years, and has worked to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea. Yeah, yeah and he got a Nobel Peace Prize to go along with it (clearly one of his better speeches), but where is the plan?
• Restoring America’s standing around the world: President Obama has strengthened our alliances around the world with friends like Israel, our NATO allies, and our partners in Asia and Latin America. And he has brought together international coalitions to confront shared challenges, such as Iran’s nuclear program. Seriously, dude, you had a great run, but what are you planning to do for an encore? Give me something to work with!

And that is pretty much it from the incumbent. No Russia, no Africa, no Latin America, no Asia, no Middle East. No nuthin' about nuthin' really. I guess it is all about the economy this year. 

As I said, this concludes our public service announcement series on the presidential candidates positions on key issues (not all, but most).  Now go out there and make your voices heard. Vote!

What Caught My Eye Today - Presidential Election

Presidential Election - 13 days to go. The debates are over, early voting is underway in a bunch of states, and the race to the White House is closer than ever. In recent days, polls have suggested the very real possibility of a popular vote win for Romney, but an Electoral College win for Obama, which if you didn't sleep through Civics class is the what really matters.  Romney continues to enjoy an upswing in positive momentum, despite   almost non-stop claims from the Obama campaign that he is flip-flopping his position on numerous issues in an attempt to win over the few remaining undecided voters. The number of toss up states continues to drop, with the biggest prizes still up for grabs appearing to be Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. In Congress, it appears that Democrats may be able to claim a moral victory by winning seats in both the Senate and the House, but not enough to change the balance of power.

What Caught My Eye Today - Mitt Romney's Foreign Policy Plan

Fred's Note: It occurs to me that in recent posts regarding the upcoming U.S. Presidential election that I am guilty of doing the same thing as various media outlets by rendering opinions on statements that I may have taken out of context.  To be fair, I'm not a professional journalist and doubt very much that my blog will ever reach the critical mass that the New York Times does. However, the information is readily available to anyone who truly wants to make an informed decision come Election Day in November. With that in mind, over the next several days and weeks, I'll be posting excerpts from the websites of both the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and the incumbent Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. It goes without saying that I will be adding some color commentary, but the content will be from the candidates themselves.

The last of the presidential debates was conducted yesterday with emphasis on foreign policy (most pundits declared the debate a draw). How convenient that we wrap up our series on presidential plans with foreign policy?  Let's see how Mitt Romney views stack up.

As president, Mitt Romney will safeguard America and secure our country’s interests and most cherished ideals. A Romney foreign policy will proceed with clarity and resolve. The unifying thread of his national security strategy is American strength.  When America is strong, the world is safer. The best ally world peace has ever known is a strong America. The “last best hope of earth” was what Abraham Lincoln called our country. Mitt Romney believes in fulfilling the promise of Lincoln’s words and will defend America abroad in word and in deed.

• National Defense: As Commander-in-Chief, Mitt Romney will keep faith with the men and women who defend us just as he will ensure that our military capabilities are matched to the interests we need to protect. He will put our Navy on the path to increase its shipbuilding rate from nine per year to approximately fifteen per year, which will include three submarines per year. He will also modernize and replace the aging inventories of the Air Force, Army, and Marines, and selectively strengthen our force structure. And he will fully commit to a robust, multi-layered national ballistic-missile defense system to deter and defend against nuclear attacks on our homeland and our allies. This will not be a cost-free process. We cannot rebuild our military strength without paying for it. Mitt Romney will begin by reversing Obama-era defense cuts and return to the budget baseline established by Secretary Robert Gates in 2010, with the goal of setting core defense spending—meaning funds devoted to the fundamental military components of personnel, operations and maintenance, procurement, and research and development—at a floor of 4% of GDP. Interesting that the first thing, Romney mentions when it comes to foreign policy is national defense.  I'm not saying there isn't a correlation, but maybe boyfriend should give a second look at the emphasis he places on national defense with regard to foreign policy. Maybe, just maybe, that might help tone down the impression that he is a war monger.
• Israel: To ensure Israel’s security, Mitt Romney will work closely with Israel to maintain its strategic military edge. The United States will work intensively with Turkey and Egypt to shore up the now fraying relationships with Israel that have underpinned peace in the Middle East for decades. With regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mitt Romney will reject any measure that would frustrate direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He will make clear to the Palestinians that the unilateral attempt to decide issues that are designated for final negotiations by the Oslo Accords is unacceptable. Last time I checked a map, Israel and Iran were part of the Middle East, but it seems they warrant even more attention than the rest of the region, which after defense spending appears to be highest on Romney's foreign policy agenda. Now then, if I am reading the tea leaves correctly here, the message seems to be, "you mess with Israel, you mess with us...and you don't want to mess with us." Gee, I wonder who that comment might be directed toward?
• Iran: Romney’s strategy will be to end Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons capability, eliminate the threat of Iranian-backed nuclear terrorism against the United States and our allies, and prevent nuclear proliferation across the Middle East. U.S. policy toward Iran must begin with an understanding on Iran’s part that a military option to deal with their nuclear weapons program is very real and very credible. Romney will work with both Congress and international partners to implement newer and broader economic sanctions to increase pressure on the Iranian regime. He will also fully implement and step up enforcement of existing U.S. laws that bar commerce with Iran, such as the exportation of refined petroleum products to Iran. Mitt Romney will also push for greater diplomatic isolation of Iran. I'm not exactly sure how this plan differs from what the current administration is doing, but I guess Romney will somehow do it better.
• Middle East: Mitt Romney will pursue a strategy of supporting groups and governments across the Middle East to advance the values of representative government, economic opportunity, and human rights, and opposing any extension of Iranian or jihadist influence. The Romney administration will strive to ensure that the Arab Spring does not become an Arab Winter. Nice catchphrase, don't you think? Romney will make available technical assistance to governments and transitional bodies to promote democracy, good governance, and sound financial management. He will engage Congress and relevant executive branch agencies and begin organizing all diplomatic and assistance efforts in the greater Middle East under one regional director. Romney would place a greater focus on ensuring that Egypt remains an ally of the United States. With regard to Syria,  Romney will implement a three-part strategy to undermine the Assad regime and bolster responsible elements of the opposition in order to hasten the transition to a legitimate and pluralistic government: (1) He will undermine Assad’s grip on power by increasing sanctions targeted at his regime, refrain from supporting any diplomatic initiative that allows Assad to remain, and encourage regime members to defect or seek exile.  (2) He will work with regime defectors, marshal our intelligence resources, and work with regional partners to identify, secure, and prevent the export of Syria’s WMD stockpiles. (3) He will work with partners to identify, organize, and facilitate arms to responsible members of the opposition who share our interests and values. In Iraq, Romney will use the broad array of our foreign-policy tools to establish a lasting relationship with Iraq, push back on growing Iranian influence, promote institutions of liberty, and guarantee that Baghdad remains a solid partner in a volatile and strategically vital region. On the surface, having a regional director doesn't seem like a bad idea, but here's the question--to what end will having a regional director any better or worse? Dude readily agrees that the region is in "tumult" and I guess he thinks that another layer of bureaucracy will somehow make things better. For a guy who champions smaller government, this seems to be somewhat contrary to that.  As for Syria and Iraq, Romney's plan seems to be a continuation of the current plan. But again, presumably he'll do it better than the current guy.
• Afghanistan & Pakistan: Romney will review our transition to the Afghan military by holding discussions with our commanders in the field. He will order a full interagency assessment of our military and assistance presence in Afghanistan to determine the level required to secure our gains and to train Afghan forces to the point where they can protect the sovereignty of Afghanistan from the tyranny of the Taliban. Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan under a Romney administration will be based on conditions on the ground as assessed by our military commanders with the goal of completing the transition of combat operations to the Afghan Army by the end of 2014. He will work with both the Afghan government and Pakistan to ensure that those nations are fully contributing to success in Afghanistan. Sort of hard to provide any commentary on this. What with it being exactly the same thing that we've been doing for the past two years.
• Russia: Russia is a destabilizing force on the world stage. It needs to be tempered. Seriously? Maybe Romney didn't get the memo. The Cold War is over. We won. Upon taking office, Mitt Romney will reset the reset. He will implement a strategy that will seek to discourage aggressive or expansionist behavior on the part of Russia and encourage democratic political and economic reform. Romney will review the implementation of the New START treaty and other decisions by the Obama Administration regarding America's nuclear posture and arms-control policies to determine whether they serve the best interests and national security of the United States. He will pursue policies that work to decrease the reliance of European nations on Russian sources of energy. Good plan. I'm sure messing with one of the few remains sources of income that Russia has will absolutely improve U.S. relations with them. Romney will build stronger relationships with the states of Central Asian by enhancing diplomatic ties, increasing military training and assistance, and negotiating trade pacts and educational exchanges. Sure why not? It's not like the "stans" are anything like those despots in the Middle East. Well actually, they're worse. Romney will support measures to increase the flow of information into Russia that highlights the virtues of free elections, free speech, economic opportunity, and a government free of corruption. 
• China & East Asia: While the potential for conflict with an authoritarian China could rise as its power grows, the United States must pursue policies designed to encourage Beijing to embark on a course that makes conflict less likely. Is it just me, or is everything a zero-sum game with this guy? China must be discouraged from attempting to intimidate or dominate neighboring states. Romney will implement a strategy that makes the path of regional hegemony for China far more costly than the alternative path of becoming a responsible partner in the international system. The United States should maintain and expand its naval presence in the Western Pacific. Admittedly, I am oversimplifying things a bit here, but wouldn't it be logical to conclude if we expand our military presence in the region, that China would necessarily have to ramp up its own defense as a matter of prudence? Romney will bolster cooperation across the board with our traditional allies like Japan, Australia, and South Korea as well as strengthen relationships with partners like India and influential countries like Indonesia. With regard to North Korea, Romney will make it unequivocally clear to Pyongyang that continued advancement of its nuclear program and any aggression will be punished instead of rewarded, and any food aid will be de-linked from the nuclear weapons issue. One wonders how Romney's definition of punishment would be acted upon.
• Africa: Recognizing that Africa’s road to stability and prosperity lies through a robust private sector economy, increased trade, and good governance, a Romney administration will encourage and assist African nations to adopt policies that create business-friendly environments and combat governmental corruption. Romney will also provide the leadership required to help resolve Africa’s long-running conflicts, pressure the remaining despots who abuse their own people, and weaken terrorist groups that threaten U.S. interests and those of our partners. Yeah, okay. At least Africa gets a mention, which is more than can be said of Europe or the United States' single largest trading partner, Canada.
• Latin America: Under a Romney administration, the United States will pursue an active role in Latin America by supporting democratic allies and market-based economic relationships, containing destabilizing internal forces such as criminal gangs and terrorists, and opposing destabilizing outside influences such as Iran. Nice that Romney was able to squeeze in one more dig at Iran. He will launch a vigorous public diplomacy and trade promotion effort in the region—the Campaign for Economic Opportunity in Latin America (CEOLA)—to extol the virtues of democracy and free trade and build on the benefits conferred by the free trade agreements reached with Panama and Colombia, as well as those already in force with Chile, Mexico, Peru, and the members of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Sounds great don't it? I have no doubt that all those leftist regimes will be tripping over themselves to sign up for this deal. Ain't that right, Mr. Chavez?

We'll wrap up our series next time with Obama's foreign policy plan.

What Caught My Eye Today - Presidential Election, Scotland, Governance, Pop Culture

Presidential Election - With just 15 days until the U.S. presidential election and one debate between the candidates (foreign policy is the focus of this final debate), it occurred to me that some poor souls feel their vote just doesn't matter. Poopie gook! Let me lay some statistics on to you that show just how wrong you are:

• 138th out of 169 - America's ranking among democratic countries in voter turn out. One can argue that freedom not to vote is a right guaranteed by a democracy. One can make that argument, but it doesn't change the fact that way too many people take the democratic process for granted.
• 47.7% - America's average voter turnout between (1945 and 2001). Among the nations with higher voter turnout; Italy (92%), Iceland (89.3%), Indonesia (87.9%), Canada (82.6%), Mongolia (79.5%) and Mexico (48.1%). Seriously people, Mongolia??? That is wrong on some many levels.
• 61.6% - Voter turnout in 2008. More folks turned out for Barack Obama vs. John McCain than the previous 3 presidential elections. That's still 18% less than Mongolia. Dude!
• 65.7% - Voter turnout among women in 2008. Turnout among men was 61.5%. Maybe if men weren't so reluctant to ask for directions, they might have an easier time of finding their polling place.
• 66.1% - Voter turnout among whites in 2008. A larger percentage of whites voted than blacks (64.7%), Hispanics (49.9%) or Asians (47.6%). Of course, with the minority population continuing to grow at a faster pace than whites, I'm not sure how meaningful this will be in future elections.
• 79.8% - Voter turnout among voters with incomes over $100,000. Turnout drops significantly as income levels drop. Just 51.9% of voters earning less than $20,000 voted in 2008. Maybe that's because voters under the poverty line literally cannot afford to take the time off to vote.
• 80% - Percentage of the minority vote Obama needs (plus 40% of the white vote) to win the 2012 election. Interesting, but not as much as this last one...
• 61% - Percentage of the white vote Mitt Romney needs to win the 2012 election. If he manages this, he won't need any of the minority vote.  I'm a white male but does that make my vote any more important than the vote of a black, Hispanic, Asian or any other minority? The sad fact of the matter is that the answer is probably yes, because I'm more likely to vote (which I already have). Prove me wrong, people!

Scotland - British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond signed an agreement this week to hold a referendum on independence for Scotland by the end of 2014. It appears more likely that Scots will opt for a form of semi autonomy. Polls show that only 34% of Scots support independence, while 55% are opposed and the rest undecided. People of Scotland, being part of the UK isn't so bad, is it? Consider this. Most people can find the UK on a map. If you decide to go it alone, how many people do you think will have the slightest clue where Scotland is? Case in point, I grew up in San Jose, CA, just a stone's throw from San Francisco. I read a survey once where American university students were asked to locate San Francisco and San Jose on a blank outline of the United States. Almost everyone got San Francisco right, while most though San Jose was on the U.S. Mexico border. All I'm saying is that having a popular big brother is not such a bad thing.

Governance - The $5 million Mo Ibrahim prize is awarded to a democratically elected leader in Africa found to have raised living standards and to have voluntarily left office. For the third time in four years no candidate met the criteria to win the prize. I'm stunned, truly stunned.

Pop Culture - As a courtesy, let me preface this last story by saying that these guys are arguably the most talented soccer players on the planet, which is significant outside the United States given that soccer is the most popular sport by a wide margin over anything else (and yes my American friends, that includes our beloved NFL). While the debate rages on as to whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the best player of this generation, there's a popularity contest being staged on Facebook between the Real Madrid and Barcelona superstars, and it's not even close. Ronaldo became the first athlete in any sport to reach 50 million "likes" on Facebook. Pure speculation on my part, but I'm thinking a fair few of those "likes" come from the ladies. No offense to Messi (who for my money is probably a tiny bit better than Ronaldo), but you'd have to be blind not to think that Cristiano isn't a bit easier on the eye balls than Lionel (be honest, can you even imagine a hot guy being named Lionel?) If all the people who "liked" Ronaldo formed their own country, it would be the 25th most populous nation on earth. Messi is in second place with about 38.5 million "likes", while David Beckham sits in third place with 21.5 million. In terms of American athletes, Michael Jordan tops the list with 20 million "likes." Kobe Bryant is six million "likes" behind Jordan, and LeBron James sits in third with 12.5 million "likes." Ronaldo is about 12 million "likes" behind the most liked celebrity, Rihanna (62 million). After Rihanna are Eminem (61.5 million), Shakira (55 million), Lady Gaga (53.3 million) and Michael Jackson (52 million).

What Caught My Eye Today - Barack Obama's Energy Plan

Fred's Note: It occurs to me that in recent posts regarding the upcoming U.S. Presidential election that I am guilty of doing the same thing as various media outlets by rendering opinions on statements that I may have taken out of context.  To be fair, I'm not a professional journalist and doubt very much that my blog will ever reach the critical mass that the New York Times does. However, the information is readily available to anyone who truly wants to make an informed decision come Election Day in November. With that in mind, over the next several days and weeks, I'll be posting excerpts from the websites of both the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and the incumbent Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. It goes without saying that I will be adding some color commentary, but the content will be from the candidates themselves.

Hard to believe, but the day of reckoning is almost upon us (it's about freaking time).  We'll wrap up our comparison of the candidates with foreign policy, but first President Obama's energy policy.

President Obama has a real strategy to take control of our energy future and finally reduce our dependence on foreign oil—an all-of-the-above approach to developing all our energy resources. I'm so glad he makes the distinction that this is a real strategy as opposed to some made up pipe dream. Of course, if you are for the other guy, pipe dream is exactly what this strategy will be interpreted as, but I digress.

• Increasing Domestic Oil Production and Reducing Our Dependence On Foreign Oil: American oil production is at an eight-year high, and we are less reliant on foreign oil than at any time in the last 16 years. New fuel efficiency standards will nearly double the fuel economy of cars and light trucks to 54.5 mpg by 2025, reducing oil consumption by 2.2 million barrels a day. This sounds lovely, but for those of us that risk cardiac arrest every time we go to the gas pump, this doesn't really address the issue. Domestic refinery capacity is stretched to the breaking point with almost no excess capacity. When refineries go offline, even for just a few days, gas prices go through the roof. Increases oil production, whether at home or abroad isn't really going to offer any consumer relief if we don't increase our capacity to refine the stuff.
• Increasing Natural Gas Production: Domestic production of natural gas has increased every year since President Obama took office, and is now at an all-time high. The Obama Administration supports responsibly tapping our near 100-year supply of natural gas, which could support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. What he doesn't say (nor does Romney) is that we have so much natural gas, that we are looking to sell the stuff to Europe and that some prices have bottomed out so much that some natural gas producers are starting to operate at a loss.
• Investing in Clean Coal: President Obama has set a 10-year goal to develop and deploy cost-effective clean coal technology. The Recovery Act invested substantially in carbon capture and sequestration research, including 22 projects across four different areas of carbon capture-and-storage research and development. No difference at all with Romney's energy plan.
• Increasing the Use of Biofuels: The Obama Administration has promoted the use of cleaner fuels in our vehicles, increased the level of ethanol that can be blended into gasoline, and implemented a new Renewable Fuel Standard that will save nearly 14 billion gallons of petroleum-based gasoline in 2022. This one is rather misleading as well. Both Obama and Romney are pimping the heck out of biofuels, but what they don't tell you is that the most fuel efficient blends are the ones that contain the least amount of ethanol.
• Harnessing Wind Energy: Under President Obama, electricity generation from wind has more than doubled between 2008 and 2011. The Obama Administration approved the nation's first-ever offshore wind project, and is supporting development of the world's largest wind farm in Oregon. I suppose the wind mill companies are thrilled about this. Problem is, I think they are the only ones who care.
• Expanding Solar Energy Production: Under President Obama, electricity generation from solar has more than doubled between 2008 and 2011. The Obama Administration approved the construction of 16 utility-scale solar energy projects. These projects are expected to create nearly 12,500 new jobs, and will produce enough energy to power 1.3 million American homes. I think this is one of the more promising sources of renewable energy (sorry wind guys). Alas, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear Obama and solar energy in the same sentence is that Solyndra fiasco. Sure, that might be unfair (and probably is), but who ever said politics was fair?
• Expanding Nuclear Energy: President Obama and his Administration are supporting the construction of the first new nuclear power plant in decades, which will provide clean electricity for nearly 1.4 million Americans. Over the past three years, the Obama Administration has invested in grants at more than 70 universities for research and development of nuclear technologies to improve reactor design and safety. Sounds great. I'm all for nuclear energy. So what if half of Japan still glows in the dark, and so what if we still don't have any idea how to dispose of spent rods. I mean really, what could possibly go wrong?

Did You Know? #9

What is the Theory of Everything?

Fred's Note: Yeah, yeah... we've gone a bit overboard on science with these last couple of questions. We lighten things up considerably next time around. Until then, just think how much smarter people will think you are when you bring this up at that next cocktail party.

A theory of everything or final theory is a theory of theoretical physics that fully explains and links together all known physical phenomena, and predicts the outcome of any experiment that could be carried out in principle. A Theory of Everything would unify all the fundamental interactions of nature: gravitation, strong interaction, weak interaction, and electromagnetism. At present, no convincing candidate for a Theory of Everything is available. Most particle physicists state that the outcome of the ongoing experiments – the search for new particles at the large particle accelerators and for dark matter – are needed in order to provide theoretical physicists with further input for a Theory of Everything.

What Caught My Eye Today - Facebook, Art Work, Longevity

Facebook - Last week, Facebook announced it reached a remarkable milestone: 1 billion active users. Since  its audience was just half that as recently as July 2010, and the entire world has only about 2.5 billion Internet users, that's an impressive achievement. I'm not sure which is more impressive--that Facebook has 1 billion users, or that 1 billion people (yours truly included) have conscientiously given up any expectation of privacy. However Facebook is only getting about $1.28 in revenue per user and has not been able to translate those 1 billion users into giant profits. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pushing a radical transformation that will put mobile services at the heart of Facebook's future. The company is also just beginning to launch new business lines based on its massive bank of user data, and still has the potential to reinvent social advertising. Maybe you've heard about this last little money maker... Facebook is now testing a feature that lets users get more visibility for their status updates, for a whopping $7 per post. I for one think this is long overdue. Statistics suggest that I might only be seeing useless updates from only 16% of my "friends".  Someone might be having the "number two" of a lifetime, and I could so totally miss it.

Art Work - I'm all for a free marketplace and for merchants having the freedom to sell the stuff that people want to buy, but it seems to me, a boundary has been crossed here.  Costco is back in the fine art business. Since relaunching its "Fine Art" section last month, Costco has sold at least eight works, including a lithograph by Henri Matisse for $1000, a lithograph by Georges Braque for $1400 and a screen print by Andy Warhol for $1450. Finally! I was beginning to think all those comment cards I submitted weren't getting read. I cannot tell you how frustrating it has been not being able to pick up some toilet paper and some fine art without having to make multiple stops. Costco suspended sales of high-priced prints and drawings 6 years ago after questions were raised about the authenticity of two Pablo Picasso drawings it sold. Interesting. I thought nothing of using last year's rebate check to purchase the Hope Diamond.

Longevity - A word of warning to the lads. You might just want to skip this item altogether.  Korean researchers have uncovered a surefire way to add up to 20 years to men's lives: castrate them. Analysis of genealogical records of males who were castrated as boys to serve in the palace of the Chosun Dynasty between the late 14th and early 20th centuries showed that the eunuchs lived between 14 and 19 years longer than their non-castrated peers. The findings support the idea that male sex hormones decrease the life span of men. In contrast to estrogen, which appears to enhance longevity, testosterone and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Lower levels of the male hormone may be a main reason why women tend to live longer than men and are 10 times as likely to reach the age of 110. Here's the thing. How many of us men would really want to live a hundred years without the ol' twig and berries? Somehow, I cannot help but think that something was missing in my life.

What Caught My Eye Today - Mitt Romney's Energy Plan

Fred's Note: It occurs to me that in recent posts regarding the upcoming U.S. Presidential election that I am guilty of doing the same thing as various media outlets by rendering opinions on statements that I may have taken out of context.  To be fair, I'm not a professional journalist and doubt very much that my blog will ever reach the critical mass that the New York Times does. However, the information is readily available to anyone who truly wants to make an informed decision come Election Day in November. With that in mind, over the next several days and weeks, I'll be posting excerpts from the websites of both the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and the incumbent Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. It goes without saying that I will be adding some color commentary, but the content will be from the candidates themselves.

Fifth in our series, Mitt Romney's energy plan. First, an overview of Romney's overall philosophy including a rebuke of the policies of the current administration , followed by a more detailed account of the Romney energy plan.

An affordable, reliable energy supply is fundamental to a prosperous and growing economy. With the right policies in place, America can become an energy superpower – and we can end our expensive and dangerous dependence on OPEC. A successful national energy strategy will have a fundamental influence on the well-being of the nation. Dramatically increasing domestic energy production can bolster the competitiveness of virtually every industry in the country, creating millions of new jobs from coast to coast. With fewer energy imports and more exports of manufactured goods, America’s trade deficit will decline and the dollar will strengthen. And all Americans can rest assured that the nation’s security is no longer beholden to unstable but oil-rich regions half way around the world. Sounds great, don't it? So great in fact, that Obama is essentially saying the exact same thing. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We'll get to Obama's energy platform next time.

President Obama has described his own energy policy as a "hodgepodge," sent billions of taxpayer dollars to green energy projects run by political cronies, rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline as not in "the national interest," and sought repeatedly to stall development of America’s domestic resources. He has gone so far as to impose regulations designed to "bankrupt" the coal industry, and his Administration was held in contempt of federal court for illegally imposing a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Is it just me or does the Romney camp have a "thing" for using quotation marks?Under the Obama Administration, leasing and permitting on federal lands and offshore are down by half. Last year, oil and gas production on federal lands plummeted. Today, the Gulf of Mexico is producing hundreds of thousands fewer barrels per day than expected. And the EPA predicts that another coal power plant will never be built in this country. Is this necessarily a bad thing?

Mitt Romney will make America an energy superpower, rapidly and responsibly increasing our own production and partnering with our allies Canada and Mexico to achieve energy independence on this continent by 2020. This will require genuine support for increased energy production, a more rational approach to regulation, and a government that facilitates private-sector-led development of new energy technologies by focusing on funding research and removing barriers, rather than chasing fads and picking winners and losers.

• States will be empowered to control all forms of energy production on all lands within their borders, excluding only those that are specifically designated off-limits. Federal agencies will certify, but the states will lead.
  Pretty consistent with his overall smaller government platform, though it is not exactly clear to me how much this will change how we do things now. There is no guarantee that energy production will dramatically rise under Romney's plan, especially given that federal agencies still have the final say, even under his plan.
• Romney will establish the most robust five-year offshore lease plan in history, that opens new areas for resource development – including off the coasts of Virginia and the Carolinas – and sets minimum production targets to increase accountability.
  Last I checked, more offshore drilling has been brought online in the past 4 years than in the 8 years of previous administration (Some dude from Texas, if I recall).
• Romney will approve the Keystone XL pipeline, establish a new regional agreement to facilitate cross-border energy investment, promote and expand regulatory cooperation with Canada and Mexico and institute fast-track regulatory approval processes for cross-border pipelines and other infrastructure.
  The pipeline agreement is going to pass under either administration. Of course, for those who don't follow this stuff, it makes for a great sound bite.
• Instead of relying on decades-old surveys developed with decades-old technologies, Romney’s plan facilitates new energy assessments to determine the true extent of our resource endowment.
  Much better than the put on a blindfold and hope for the best approach that the Obama administration appears to have been relying on. Of course, some might have a hard time reconciling that with the record high production of natural gas and oil, but what do I know.
• Romney will pursue measured reforms of our environmental laws and regulations to strengthen environmental protection without destroying jobs or paralyzing industries. Romney's plan will also streamline the gauntlet of reviews, processes, administrative procedures, and lawsuits that mire so many new projects in red tape.
  It certainly sounds better, but lacks the whimsy and bumper sticker appeal of "drill baby, drill.".
• Romney will promote innovation by focusing the federal government on the job it does best – research and development – and will eliminate any barriers that might prevent new energy technologies from succeeding on their own merits. Strengthening and streamlining regulations and permitting processes will benefit the development of both traditional and alternative energy sources, and encourage the use of a diverse range of fuels including natural gas in transportation.
  Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is a dig at that Solyndra mess. Not Obama's finest hour, but you have to figure you are going to roll a few snake eyes every now and again. 

Nothing terribly controversial nor overly creative that I can see. However, I doubt anyone thinks energy policy is going to decide who will reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next January.

You can read up on Romney's position on energy here. Next time, Barack Obama's energy plan.