“Obama Adviser Leaves Campaign After Speaking With Hamas
by FOXNews.com
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Middle East policy adviser for Barack Obama has left the campaign after acknowledging having held talks with Hamas, FOX News confirms.
The Times newspaper in London first reported Friday that the campaign was severing ties with the adviser, Robert Malley.
Malley said he had been in contact with the Palestinian group, but only through his work for a “conflict resolution think tank,” and not on behalf of the Obama campaign, the newspaper reported.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton told FOX News Malley was “an ancillary adviser who never met with Obama, literally one of hundreds of informal advisers who from time to time offered advice on Middle East policy.”
Another Obama spokesman told The Times Malley “has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future.”
Hamas, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the State Department, is a touchy issue for the Obama campaign.
Hamas adviser Ahmed Yousef said in a recent interview, “We like Mr. Obama, we hope that he will win the election,” and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has poked fun at Obama for the apparent endorsement.
McCain has said he would be Hamas’ “worst nightmare”; he told “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart Wednesday that he could “guarantee” Hamas would not endorse him for president.
Obama accused McCain of “losing his bearings” and engaging in a smear campaign for the remarks.
FOX News’ Major Garrett contributed to this report.
New York Times article:
Barack Obama sacks adviser over talks with Hamas
Barack Obama had criticised former President Jimmy Carter for holding direct talks with Hamas
Tom Baldwin in Washington
One of Barack Obama’s Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas – prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him.
Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation. Such talks, he stressed, were related to his work for a conflict resolution think-tank and had no connection with his position on Mr Obama’s Middle East advisory council.
“I’ve never hidden the fact that in my job with the International Crisis Group I meet all kinds of people,” he added.
Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Mr Obama, responded swiftly: “Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future.” The rapid departure of Mr Malley followed 48 hours of heated clashes between John McCain, the Republican nominee-elect, and Mr Obama over Middle East policy.
Mr Obama, who has been trying to assuage suspicion towards him among the influential Jewish and pro-Israel lobby, spoke at a Washington reception marking the 60th anniversary of Israeli independence on Thursday when he promised that his commitment to the country’s security would be “unshakeable”. However, Mr McCain has high-lighted the Democrat’s pledge to negotiate directly with nations such as Iran – whose leaders talk of wiping Israel off the map – and a statement from Hamas saying that it hoped that Mr Obama would win the presidency.
This was denounced as an offensive smear by Mr Obama, who repeated earlier statements saying that Hamas was “a terrorist organisation [and] we should not negotiate with them unless they recognise Israel, renounce violence”.
He went on to suggest that Mr McCain’s attack showed that he was “losing his bearings”. This remark triggered a furious reaction from Mark Salter, the Republican’s senior adviser, who said that Mr Obama was “intentionally raising John McCain’s age as an issue” – a claim the Democrat vehemently denied. The intensity of this dispute reflects both Mr Obama’s desire to move beyond his battle with Hillary Clinton and how Republicans are already beginning to train their sights on him.
The Republican National Committee has amassed a 1,000-page dossier on Mr Obama, with researchers spending weeks in Chicago seeking fresh material. He is already being criticised for his links with Rashid Khalidi, a Columbia University professor who has branded Israel an “apartheid system in creation”.
Mr Malley, a respected commentator on Middle Eastern issues and part of President Clinton’s negotiating team at the Camp David talks, has come under attack in recent months from right-wing bloggers. Yesterday, asked if Obama campaign was aware of his contact with Hamas, he said: “They know who I am but I don’t think they vet everyone in a group of informal advisers.”
Randy Scheunemann, Mr McCain’s foreign policy chief, suggested that Mr Malley was part of an emerging pattern in which other advisers had been repudiated after throwing confusion over policies on trade and Iraq. “Perhaps because of his inexperience Senator Obama surrounds himself with advisers that contradict his stated policies,” he said.”
Once again, Obama has a serious problem with judging the character of his associates, those he brings into his organization or are his advisors.
Wonder how many of us will check out the websites and become enlightened??
WHAT THEN??
Part 1:
In just one year . Remember the election in 2006?
Thought you might like to read the following:
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3 ) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.
Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value
evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclos ure.
America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!
Remember it’s Congress that makes law not the President. He has
to work with what’s handed to him.
Quote of the Day……..”My friends, we live in the greatest nation in
the history of the world. I hope you’ll join with me as we try to change it.”
— Barack Obama
Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250
Both democratic candidates will return to the higher tax rates
It is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think
Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever.
If Obama or Hillary are elected, they both say they will repeal the Bush
tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the categories
above can’t wait for it to happen. This is like the movie The Sting with
Paul Newman; you scam somebody out of some money and they don’t even
know what happened.
Take everything the republicans have f***** up in this country and spin it around to blame it ALL on the Democratic Party. Having “control” of Congress since 2006 doesn’t mean a whole lot when you have an idiot like bushco in the White House and lacking a Super majority.
SPIN
SPIN
SPIN
2001-2009 will always been known as the “Years of NTIONAL disgrace”!
Chas
Posted May 8, 2008 at 5:29 pm | Permalink
And, as for the $30 tab and the three guys.. I have shown several times that there is, in fact, no mystery… Depending on how you tell the story, that is.
=======================================================================
I see we have some advanced math people here. I found a problem that I found interesting. I would like to see how many get this correct.
.
Suppose you’re on a game show, and you’re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a “Around the world trip”; behind the others, pigs. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, regardless of which door you pick, must opens another door, say No. 3, which has a pig. He then says to you, “Do you want to pick door No. 2?” Is it to your advantage to switch your choice, disadvantage to switch your choice or does not matter if you switch?
—————————-
NATHANIEL, I find I must applaud your very Zen approach to all this. Very understanding and forgiving of you towards others for their failing to foresee obstacles. People like me finding fault in the fact that electrical wiring of structures has become a proven science and if someone has been paid to wire housing for our troops. And short cuts and fatal work had been done, I find fault and believe they should be held accountable. Your understanding attitude about these simple and foreseeable obstacles is Admirable to say the least. The fact that it happened more then once before it was corrected, we can only assume it has been corrected or at least hope it has.
You have a valid point, it might not have been that plain in the beginning to warrant taking precautions against IEDs. And certainly it might actually take several months of content assaults from them before it becomes apparent there was a need to take precautions is understandable. The enemy is very adaptable and dealing with explosions is something new to our planners of war. On one occasion it took the second round going pass me before I had the realization I was being shot at myself and reacted! I owe them an apology for not being more understanding in this.
It was certainly my shortcoming to think that since our troops were being shot and killed in every quarter in Iraq. And only a select handful was issued body armor and even those issued PPDs were suffering pass through leading to injury and/or death. That there was a need for more and improved body armor is silly of me! The expenditure might be wasteful since the action could have ended at any moment. And the entire military is now all volunteers, they must know it could happen to them so what is there to become upset about. Certainly it would be naive to think just because it is happening that it will always be like that.
In the bigger picture, they all are individual incidents and should not be seen as a pattern or a need to anticipate. Thank you for opening my eyes to this.
But you were wrong on two points, first I do not hate or dislike Bush because those are momentary emotion that blinds. Hate or dislike is something you feel when the guy cuts you off in traffic not when the leader of your nation does what Bush has done. Second is that my thoughts, feeling and reactions have nothing what so ever to do with Politics. Certainly the raise or fall of G.W. Bush is neither my making nor my opinion of him would make a difference either way to him. This is about our troops pure and simple, it is about winning the battle, the war and defeating the enemy in the best way possible.
YOU may find it excusable and acceptable, you may think of it only in political terms. You may see it as at least the troops are not being sent into the conflict naked and their own protection being painted Blue!
We may not be able to foresee every turn, every attack or every change in direction. But that is not an excuse for allowing or excusing the failures to react and prevent the ones that can be.
Being Zen helps one to deal with the things that can not be avoided or foreseen. But being Zen about things that can be avoided or can be foreseen and there is a conscious choice to ignore. Is defeatist….
Department of Water representative stopped at a farm and talked with an old farmer. He told the farmer, ‘I need to inspect your farm for your water allotment’
The old farmer said, ‘OK, but don’t go in that field over there.’
The Water representative said, ‘Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government behind me.
See this card? The card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land no questions asked; nor need be answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?’
The old farmer nodded politely and went about his farm chores.
Later, the old farmer heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running for the fence and close behind was the farmer’s huge-horned prize bull. The bull was gaining on the Water Rep with every step. The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old farmer immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out.
gster
Posted May 9, 2008 at 7:38 pm | Permalink
In response to a number of complaints that FOX News doesn’t show enough Black and Hispanic people on the network, FOX has announced that they will now air ‘ America ’s Most Wanted’ TWICE a week.
Big fat whiney babies. What is it going to take for them to realize that they’re screwing up? Every dem will win in the elections coming up as long as they keep acting like this. And now you cannot even remotely blame the dems for what they can’t pass. This is going to have far reaching consequences.
At least when the dems attempted to filibuster, we had good reason. We played along and humored your pathetic pork laden bills that Bush beamed as he passed. He should have just signed “to my corporate buddies”.
Seem to remember a post where Chas “unintentionally” hit the cap locks on a key word and later blamed it on his stroke.
“Chas
Posted May 10, 2008 at 1:07 am | Permalink
Notice to all Bloggers:
NATHAN NOW SPEAKS FOR IN DETERMINING WHO IS AND WHO ISNT A CHRISTIAN… HE HAS STATED THIS IN HIS OWN WORDS!! HE NOW KNOWS THE MIND OF CHRIST, AND HAS THE WISDOM OF GOD!!
PLEASE NOTE BELOW >>>>”
Intentional or Unintentional
How will the world ever know?
Reminds me of the Emo Phillips routine. He comes across a guy about to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge….
He said, “I do believe in God.”
I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
I said, “Me too. Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
I said, “Me too! What franchise?”
He says, “Baptist.”
I said, “Me too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Baptist.”
I said, “Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reform Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879 or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over!
For those coming to River estival - especially for the canoe rides or other ‘on-river’ activities:
“Just got word from Riverfest people that all water events have been canceled for today due to high water. They will reassess in the morning but I expect that the level will be higher tomorrow. Looks as if we may reschedule for next Saturday as we did last year.”
“We played along and humored your pathetic pork laden bills that Bush beamed as he passed. He should have just signed “to my corporate buddies”
Say again, Political Momma?
“A group that tracks Congressional earmarks, aka pork-barrel spending, says the military spending bills that Democrats pushed through Congress dedicate tens of billions to projects and causes that are in no way related to the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Despite their campaign talk about earmark reform last fall, the new Democratic leadership shamelessly used pork to buy votes — before the vote, Representatives Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Peter DeFazio of Oregon acknowledged that add-ons for their districts would influence their decisions,” Thomas Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste writes in an essay on the op-ed page of The New York Times. “The heavyweights also led by example: the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, added $20 million to eradicate Mormon crickets, and David Obey of Wisconsin, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, came away with $283 million for the Milk Income Loss Contract Program.” USATODAY
And Ms. Nancy Boyda, our own Kansas democrat who when she ran for office, blasted republicans for their pork-barrel spending, added a few earmarks of her own for her district. Like a prison Museum
in Lansing.
Puleease!
And I will repeat, as I’ve said many times before: The pork will never stop until both sides quit pointing fingers at the other - and we, the citizens hold all the rascals accountable.
“As in previous years, all of the items in the Congressional Pig Book Summary meet at least one of CAGW’s seven criteria, but most satisfy at least two:
Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
Not specifically authorized;
Not competitively awarded;
Not requested by the President;
Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
Serves only a local or special interest.”
In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) into the 12 appropriations bills worth $17.2 billion.
The 11,610 projects represent a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007. The $17.2 billion is a 30 percent increase over the fiscal year 2007 total of $13.2 billion.
AW I loved it! But now you get me started thinking of all the misunderstanding jokes I know.
“THE HORSE NO LOOK’A SO GOOODA”
A man decided to buy a horse for his kids to ride around the yard. Seeing an ad in the local paper Horse for sale… One hundred dollars. He went to the farm and met an old Italian man:
“Yes I am here about the horse you have for sale.”.
“OK’a but I’m tell’a you the horse…. He no look’a so Goooda”.
“Oh that’s Ok I am planning on buying it for my kids to ride around the yard”.
The old Italian man took the man to a pasture and pointed to an old horse standing in the middle of the pasture.
“Is the horse gentle?”
“Oh’a yes he is’a quiet’a Gentle’a…. But he’a no’a look’a so Good’a”.
The horse was sway back and seemed to have seen better days.
“ Is he gentle around children though?”.
“Oh’a yes’a, he like’a kids’a just a fine’a But he no look’a so good’a”.
“Can I ride him?”.
“Well’a sure’a…. But he’a no look’a so Good’a”
The man put a saddle and bridle on the horse and started riding the horse across the pasture.
The horse ran right into a five wire barb wire fence and the man ended up tangled up in the wire.
The old Italian man rushed over and help the man get untangled.
The went over to the horse and looked into the horse’s eyes.
“He’s blind!” exclaimed the man.
“ I did’a tell you, the horse, he no’a look’a so Good’a!”
So there’s these two guys at a bar and one of ‘em says, “Have you heard about that new place where, for fifty cents they give you a beer and a shot of whiskey and a free lunch then take you in the back room and you get laid?”
Other guys says, “Wait a minute. There’s a bar where you give ‘em fifty cents and they give you a beer and a bump, free lunch, and take you in the back to get laid?! Have you been to this place?”
I would like it, I love to tell jokes and hear them too. Of course I have a odd sense of humor at times.
I may see the humor in things others do not. But none the less it is a good thought.
If the first door is the trip, then obviously it makes no difference what you choose in next step. Result: can’t improve my advantage by choosing since a pig’s behind both remaining doors.
If door 1 is a pig, then in step 2 my odds are 1/2 that switching improves my advantage. This applies twice, so the odds of improving my chances are 1/2*1/2, or 1/4.
These are also the same odds for worsening my advantage. So the odds of improving my advantage are 1/4 + 1/4 or 1/2, and of course the odds of no improvement are also 1/2.
So Ben’s right: no advantage to be had by switching. Given your rules, my odds are 50/50 that I’ll end up with the pig…or the trip.
Why the hell is it then that I ALWAYS get the damn pig?
Off to do the yardwork. Political_mama I am not going to defend the republican party. But the issue of earmarks is near and dear to me. Even our State Legislature buys pork with our hard earned money.
We may disagree on what government should/should not provide as far as goods and services, but I’d hoped we could all agree there is waste in government.
My impression may be incorrect, but it seems to me many bloggers here are quick to put down the other party and we spend the day defending and attacking each party. I partake in this too.
Last time I remember, in my almost a year reading the WEBLOG, that there appeared to be mutual agreement was when people were fired up about the illegal immigration issue.
I’d like to see more of that, but I clearly have a conservative (vice republican) viewpoint, so my eyes may be blind too.
Westar seeks rate hike for upgrades
Westar Energy customers in southern Kansas will likely see their power bills go up…
Westar is seeking a $22 million annual increase in rates through a mechanism called the “environmental cost recovery rider,” which allows the company to recover pollution-reduction costs without a formal rate case. http://www.kansas.com/news/story/399601.html
Hidden back on page 7B:
Tax benefit spiked Westar’s profits
Westar Energy Inc. on Friday said that an income tax benefit and higher sales contributed to profits more than doubling during the first quarter.
That’s a modern version of the ’shell game’ choice with out the guy palming the pea of course.
If you have N doors and N=3, then choosing the 1st door without knowing what’s behind it leaves two thirds probability. When one door is shown to have a pig behind it, the probability has not really changed just because the door has been opened.
The better odds initially is to switch is before one door is opened, because you have a 2/3 probability of winning instead of 1/3.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Federal regulators says they’ve closed ANB Financial National Association banks after discovering “unsafe and unsound” business practices there.
David Barr, a spokesman for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says many customers served by the bank’s nine locations had accounts under $100,000, which will be fully insured by the government. Barr says customers can continue to write checks and draw money from ATMs through the weekend.
Barr says Pulaski Bank and Trust Co. agreed to assume control over ANB Financial’s bank locations, which will be open Monday.
As of Jan. 31, federal regulators say ANB Financial had about $2.1 billion in assets and $1.8 billion in total deposits.
It was the third closure this year of an FDIC-insured bank. Douglass National Bank, a Missouri bank with $58.5 million in assets, was shut in January; another Missouri institution with assets of $18.7 million, Hume Bank, was shut down in March.
Both were dwarfed in size of ANB Financial, where regulators found lax lending standards, mostly for construction and development loans for projects in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, as well as Arkansas.
Observers have been watching for signs of bank distress resulting from the mortgage crisis. Profits at federally insured U.S. banks and thrifts plunged to a 16-year low in the fourth quarter as institutions set aside a record-high amount to cover losses from sour mortgages.
The FDIC is planning to beef up its staff, including temporarily hiring up to 25 retired FDIC employees who worked in the agency’s more than 200-person division that handles failed banks. They will handle an anticipated increase in bank failures.
This is in Wal-Mart’s home town. You gotta believe a bunch of Wal-Mart execs banked with this operation (and, probably, thought they had way more than the hundred-grand insured by the FDIC.
Bear-Stearns, ANB, all the others… It’s looking like a 21st Century run on the banks.
Three contractors died and went to Hell. Upon arrival, they noticed the place could use some fixing up, so they went to work. They built swimming pools and party rooms and tennis courts and lavish dining halls. Hell never looked so good.
So one day God wanders down to Hell and notices all the improvements. He thinks the place looks great, and that Heaven could use a little fixing up. He regretted sending the contractors to Hell and tried to bargain with the Devil to get the contractors back. But the Devil would have none of it, and stated in no uncertain terms, he would fight to keep the contractors.
So God, in a fit of frustration finally told the Devil “if you dont give me back the contractors, I’ll sue your ass off”.
To which the Devil snorted in reply, and then said “good try God, but where are you going to get a lawyer?”
(rimshot)
Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here at the BoomBoom Room all week….
Wind Turbines are still pretty expensive PMom. The problem with wind turbines in town, is that they have to be tall enough to get past the trees and other houses to get effective wind. That’ 20-40 feet.
Then there are ordinances that prevent tall structures from being built on residential properties without first being certified for flight collision standards, lightning grounds, support platform depth and soundness and of course sufficient clearance from utility lines and other structures.
Residential wind turbines are not usually big enough to create energy to sell back with the use of a kick back generator, but can be if the house is designed to be super efficient on energy use.
The generator would be an additional expense.
Dunno the cost, guessing around $10,000 for a cheap one with installation and permits.
Excuse my interruption. I’m trying to follow-up on an anonymous hand written letter I received.
It was very much chicken-scratch, so pardon me if I have not translated it into the Kings English very well. Some of the ink was smudged and some of the words were in all capital letters, but it did contain a link to this website.
Again, pardon me for the interruption, I was going to throw out the letter but the author of the letter appears to be somewhat distressed and is need of some assistance.
Not exactly sure if you know this writer, or if any of you can direct my inquiry to him, but if you are his friends I think you should be aware that a one, Chas, really needs someone to talk to about his problems. A shoulder to lean on.
I believe one of you here, should direct him to seek an experienced religious leader, a minister perhaps to help guide him in his time of need.
It seems he also has some physical medical problems as well as spiritual. He mentioned a stroke (poor lad) and I’m certain that affected not only the use of CAPS with certain words, but the entire content of his writing as well.
If any of you know this chap, please refer him to appropriate professional help.
I will drop by when I get a free moment to check on any possible leads on this soul. Every soul seeks salvation and I am certain that someone with clergy experience could certainly assist in this case.
I think Ben has given me the correct answer in his own way.
Anyone else care to try and answer the “post of RightAngle”
Posted May 10, 2008 at 8:10 am
Where is Chase?
Regular, why not design a turbine that doesn’t have to be way up in the air? Do the turbines on the houses now need to be high to get them to move? Nope. I’m sure they could be built far more efficiently.
I do understand those turbines suit another purpose, but why can’t they be modified to serve the energy purpose?
Think of it, four or five in a row on the top of the roof…each side. The spinning of them alone could power an attic full of batteries.
They could be their own generator if designed right.
Guess it could. I understand the new “Stalking” law makes it easier for a person to get the authorities involved. Supposed to be a great new weapon for law enforcement.
Cyber Stalking is the use of the Internet, e-mail or other telecommunications technology to harass or stalk another person.
Stalking is a Crime
Menacing by stalking is the act of a person who knowingly engages in a pattern of conduct that causes you to believe that the offender (stalker) will cause you physical harm or causes mental distress to you.
*”Pattern of Conduct” means two or more actions or incidents occur in a short period of time
*”Mental Distress” means any mental illness or condition that would normally require counseling. However, counseling is NOT required to obtain legal remedies.
If a person follows, pursues, or harasses you in a threatening manner on more than one occasion, this person may be guilty of stalking.
Dunno lindainks, one of our resident lawyers might answer on the new law.
The problem with Internet stalking as I found out, is that the remedy is usually unsatisfactory to the user in proportion to the amount of energy and finances spent (under the old laws)
My guess is that hasn’t changed. Change of environment which involves no cost is a consideration that the Judge will view as a determiner in a civil case as a remedy.
lindainks55
Posted May 10, 2008 at 11:59 am | Permalink
I’ve been reading about the new “Stalker” law and wondering if it extends to internet stalking?
==============================================
Yep, Linda… been wondering about that myself. Wonder how the Editors would handle that with the new registration procedure??
Registration would be another tool available to law enforcement, wouldn’t it? Of course, with proper legal avenues followed! None of this stupid bushco ways of doing things.
Chas, I honestly think you must ignore each and every taunt! Always! Without exception! Bite your tongue, say it in an email to an understanding friend, get on your knees and discuss with your most trusted friend. Don’t allow yourself to be part of that gang!
Regular- Yes only you and Ben answered it corectly.
I think Ben chose not to disclose the answer directly but he gave it away that he knew the correct answer by saying he was going to post the lady and the lion puzzle which is a version of mine.
see: http://www.amazeingart.com/fun/lady-tiger-answer.html
Chas, there was an article in this morning’s Eagle about the spotlight on the United Church of Christ as the result of Obama running for president. It talked of a sacred conversation on race to be held in churches across the nation on May 18th.
I can’t find a link to the exact article in our local paper, but here’s what I found:
heh - thanks for making my brain work on this lazy Saturday morning. Otherwise, I would have be self-absorbed into some aspect of life that doesn’t really matter.
Yes, Regular, most people will see two remaining doors and say it’s a 50-50 chance. Things are not always as the appear even in mathmatics. As far as a cookie, look in you web brouser file, I think you should find several cookies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. Now see it for the first time. It’s the Postal Service’s newest consumer innovation — the Forever stamp. The stamp was previewed today at the National Postal Forum, the premier trade show for advertising, marketing and mailing executives. Featuring the Liberty Bell image and the word “forever,” the stamp will be good for mailing one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future — regardless of price changes. The Forever stamp goes on sale April 12 at 41 cents. Customers can begin using the stamp when postage changes May 14.
“Who said nothing lasts forever?” remarked Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer John E. Potter in unveiling the image here at the National Postal Forum. “The Forever stamp is a consumer innovation guaranteed to deliver unprecedented convenience and value to our customers. It’s good forever.”
To see an image of the “forever” stamp and read the rest of the article on it, go to this URL.
Looks like I misunderstood your question. I thought that no matter what, the first pick wasn’t available (I didn’t read carefully enough to see that the chooser had the option to keep the first pick).
So either way, my mistake.
You know, I think I remember when a version of this puzzle was published in Marilyn Vos Savant’s column in Parade. Your link, RA, says that happened waaay back in 1990.
Yes, Regular, most people will see two remaining doors and say it’s a 50-50 chance. Things are not always as the appear even in mathmatics. As far as a cookie, look in you web brouser file, I think you should find several cookies.
Hey, no fair! I didn’t even see this until now!
But it’s just as well, as I’d heard this one before, so that’d be “cheating.”
“Regular, why not design a turbine that doesn’t have to be way up in the air? Do the turbines on the houses now need to be high to get them to move?” — p.m.
When I first read this, I put my hand on my face, and muttered again “a-a-a-a-r-r-r-r-g-g. But on second thought, I wondered how much energy could be captured from an attic full of heat, especially if they were designed that way. The turban-shaped “turbines” atop houses are actually exhaust vents, and they turn because they are exhausting hot air from the house, though no doubt, winds could make them spin, too. I imagine if you put little generators in them, and designed attics to capture heat rather than shed it, you might be able to recover some power. Maybe enough to recharge the batteries in a video game?
Also, since the combination of the first set of matrices were excluded to the solution (door #1), the set included the “9″ instance for the total number of matrices (3 sets of 3 matrices)
Okay, I better quit before someone who remembers Calculus, cuts my legs off.
I think the reason for the height of the wind turbines is because of the air flow interruption by natural and artificial structures (trees and buildings)
If you look at the tops of trees, you can see much more dynamic movement of wind than you can at the bottom portion, primarily due to mass is bigger towards the bottom of the branches than at the top.
Palm trees are different?
Also, I suppose that heat rises from radiating back from the earth causing it to be more windy. The reverse during night (except for storm fronts)
Instead of me guessing here’s a very good article on how wind works in regard to wind turbines.
“And the part about using them for a different purpose….” — p.m.
Like grinding the seeds you find in your dried feces to make your bread instead of using a flat stone? Actually, that’s not original. I read it in an editorial about a small town city council years ago.
“The problem with Internet stalking as I found out, is that the remedy is usually unsatisfactory to the user in proportion to the amount of energy and finances spent”
“Dunno lindainks, one of our resident lawyers might answer on the new law.” Regular
The amended stalking law allows law enforcement to get involved sooner if they believe a resident is being threatened. Threatened with physical harm, the victims family, or even a pet. It clarifies the definition of stalking and imposes stronger penalties. Legislators passed the measure in response to the death of Jodi Sanderholm of Arkansas City, who was murdered by an alleged stalker.
Stalking:
Intentional, malicious and repeated following or harassment of another person and making a credible threat with the intent to place such person in reasonable fear for such person’s safety.
Amendment:
Amend the crime of stalking to include the following parts: –Intentionally or recklessly engaging in a course of conduct targeted at a specific person which would cause a reasonable person in the circumstances of the targeted person to fear for such person’s safety, or the safety of a member of such person’s immediate family and the targeted person is actually placed in such fear;
Commencement of proceedings; persons seeking relief orms; no docket fee; confidentiality exceptions. (a) A person may seek relief under the protection from stalking act by filing a verified petition with the district judge or clerk of the court in the county where the stalking occurred. A verified petition must allege facts sufficient to show the following:
(1) The name of the stalking victim;
(2) the name of the defendant;
(3) the dates on which the alleged stalking
behavior occurred; and
(4) the acts committed by the defendant that
are alleged to constitute stalking.
It appears the amendment was made in reference to the “physical” threatening of a person. The change allows law enforcement to get involved sooner.
Has anyone blogging threatened the life or safety of another blogger? Has there been
any violation of the act committed against a “specific person” by name? Has the defendant been identified by name? And we need the SPECIFIC acts that are alleged
to constitute stalking.
Haven’t seen any of the specific requirements been met on the WEBLOG. But there are other blogs and newsgroup bulletin boards out there with some pretty wild threats. Haven’t seen any of those prosecuted.
Credible threat with intent?
Like Regular stated, I think a lawyer blogger could advise us on the technical aspects.
Pedant
Posted May 10, 2008 at 1:31 pm | Permalink
Well crap.
Looks like I misunderstood your question. I thought that no matter what, the first pick wasn’t available (I didn’t read carefully enough to see that the chooser had the option to keep the first pick).
So either way, my mistake.
You know, I think I remember when a version of this puzzle was published in Marilyn Vos Savant’s column in Parade. Your link, RA, says that happened waaay back in 1990.
=========================================
Yes Pedant,
It was in Parade as the “Monty Hall Problem.
See link:
I should have checked here first about the canoe rides. We walked up from Century II, but found no canoes or anything, so at least now I know why.
We did make the Art & Book Fair, and I got a pritine copy of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” for $1, along with several other books and some VHS movies. It’s become a RiverFest tradition for us each year, even if it’s the only thing we do.
I have all three Indiana Jones on VHS and will be getting the DVD set of same on Tuesday. I’ll wait to watch them then. I’m also impatiently awaiting the 22nd, when the new Indy will be in theaters.
Beber, and I’m sure someone laughed at the first guy who looked at that black tarry stuff and thought, you know gee, someday, maybe if we did something with this, we could power millions of cars. Or the guy who considered piping natural gas to every home?
How much money do you suppose it took to accomplish these feats?
As for your last comment, that shows just how classy you are dude. Disgusting pig. Why do I even bother, someone like you should be in jail. How does it feel to be despised completely by the left and the right?
“and I’m sure someone laughed at the first guy who looked at that black tarry stuff and thought”
How about the first cowboy that leaned against the fence and said “see that bull over there - I am going to eat his nuts.”
Or the first fisherman that said “see these oysters - they taste mighty good raw - despite the fact that they look like something that fell out of a cow’s nose..”
As for that guy - name to be unmentioned - strictly scroll over territory.
The wind is horrible! Pre, was it as bad downtown? I was out early - Ginger has to go to the nearby park to check smell mail — and then just now to the grocery. WOW! The wind did pick up since this morning!
We used to always go to RiverFest but haven’t in the past few years. Too much of what we enjoyed doesn’t happen and neither of us works downtown any longer so we don’t have those guaranteed parking spaces we enjoyed for many years. Sometimes I feel guilty for not supporting the city party. Does the fact that I pick up trash in our little nearby city park most every day redeem me?
If you choose a door (let’s say it’s 1) and the host opens another door (let’s say it’s 3) which doesn’t have a prize, then you know that the prize is behind either door number one or door number two.
All that crap about “matricies” is irrelevant once one of the choices has been eliminated.
A choice between two doors equals a 50-50 chance like flipping a coin.
Yes, it was very windy! We got there before 11 and left about 3. The wind had definitely picked up by the time we left.
I found it sad to learn that this is the last year for the bathtub races. They just aren’t drawing enough participants, I heard. Still it was nice to see the 184th KANG Jayhawks are still in it this year. That’s who we used to cheer for, since my ex was a KANGer.
We rarely go to anything during the week. It’s too much of a hassle. One daughter, son-in-law, and their 3 kids went to the parade last night. I opted out of going. Too many other things to do. Oldest daughter and granddaughter went this AM, and the two remaining are there now. We plan to do the fireworks on the riverbank next Saturday, as we always do. Provided they’re held, of course.
I can’t say you’re missing a whole lot, although I do love the concert and fireworks.
I unearthed the POW bracelet I got in 1971. The name on it is Lt. Col. Jack Van Loan. I just googled the name and found that he had been released in 1973, after having been captured in 1967.
Another Google link took me to a Kiwanis club newsletter, which had the following:
January 17th
Kiwanis Guest Day
Col. Jack Van Loan,
Motivational Speaker,
Shared a cell with Sen.
John McCain at the Hanoi
Hilton during the Vietnam
War
To follow up–another way to think about it is that the fact that the host didn’t open the door that you switch to tells you that there’s a better than average change the prize is behind it.
IIRC Monty Hall used to try to argue the contestant to switch, on the CHANCE the prize was behind the unselected door…. the harder he tried to get them to switch, sometimes meant they had aleady selected the prize…
CapnAmerica
What really confuses people is that if the host opens a door before you make your first choise, then the odds go back to 50-50.
My son made a computer program with ramdom number generator to check this out and sure enough it can out close to 66% better to chose the other door with 1,000,000 tries.
Single, income of 30,000. . . . .$3,157.50 $2,756.25
Single, income of 50,000. . . . .$7,262.50 $6,606.25
Married, income of $50,000. . . $5,085.00 $4,012.50
Married, income of $60,000. . . $6,585.00 $5,512.50
Single, income of $75,000. . . .$14,262.50 $12,856.25
Married, income of $75,000. . . $9,426.50 $7,762.50
Single, income of $125,000*. . $29,378.50 $26,472.25
Married, income of $125,000*. .$23,426.50 $19,462.50
The people at the bottom get a tiny little tax break and the people at the top get a huge one.
What really confuses people is that if the host opens a door before you make your first choise, then the odds go back to 50-50.
Right. That makes sense actually. Because what increases your odds in the original scenario is that the host eliminates a door that you didn’t choose.
If he eliminates a door before you choose, that means that he didn’t eliminate a door you didn’t choose so the advantage is lost on the remaining door.
“The past three decades have seen a momentous shift: The rich became vastly richer while working-class wages stagnated. Economists say 80 percent of net income gains since 1980 went to people in the top 1 percent of the income distribution, boosting their share of total income to levels unseen since before the Great Depression.”
Remember that when the CONs give you that “97 percent of the income tax is paid by the top 50 percent” crap. Of course, they make more money. Duh.
“The Census Bureau has tracked the economic fortunes of affluent, middle-class and poor American families for six decades. These tabulations reveal a wide partisan disparity in income growth. The real incomes of middle-class families grew more than twice as fast under Democratic presidents as they did under Republican presidents. Even more remarkable, the real incomes of working-poor families (at the 20th percentile of the income distribution) grew six times as fast when Democrats held the White House. Only the incomes of affluent families were relatively impervious to partisan politics, growing robustly under Democrats and Republicans alike.
“The cumulative effect of these partisan differences is enormous. If the pattern of income growth under postwar Republican presidents had matched the pattern under Democrats, incomes would be more equal now than they were in 1950 — a far cry from the contemporary reality of what some observers are calling a New Gilded Age.
More at link.
Nobody said you have to smart to vote Republican . . .
“CapnAmerica
Posted May 10, 2008 at 6:53 pm | Permalink
Hey, maybe we can get the Van Loan guy to swear that McCain didn’t really earn his purple hearts . . .”
“incomes would be more equal now than they were in 1950 — a far cry…”
Who said everyone should be equal in income? Cry is the correct word for it. Kleenex is probably too expensive. There is a generic box available at Wally World.
I don’t give a damn about the Hannah Montana phenomenon, but after the comment you made, Beber about Miley Cyrus, you should be should, beaten and then thrown in jail for life.
It took a lot but have brought this blog to an all time low — history in the making —- please no more of those really disgusting visuals —- thought Jimmy Mac in depends was low —- you beat him by a mile —
“under Democratic presidents as they did under Republican presidents.”
I’m not sold on the idea that one man, one president makes much of a difference regarding the economy or financial wealth of individual citizens.
I am more inclined to believe that the US Congress, with their budget decisions (and indecisions) are a greater influence than the policy of one man.
Much of the economy goes in cycles regardless of who is “the one”.
In a way, it will be interesting to see if when the democrats take both chambers of congress and the white house - if happy times will suddenly be here again.
But if they aren’t, I am cock sure of one thing:
You will blame it on the previous administrations.
Bullshit - we can’t afford tax breaks. We can’t afford anymore tax cuts. We are on the verge of bankruptcy. We are the largest debtor nation in the history of mankind.
We have to pay down the $9.4 trillion debt!
We cannot continue the course of tax cuts and more deficit spending.
167 Comments
“Obama Adviser Leaves Campaign After Speaking With Hamas
by FOXNews.com
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Middle East policy adviser for Barack Obama has left the campaign after acknowledging having held talks with Hamas, FOX News confirms.
The Times newspaper in London first reported Friday that the campaign was severing ties with the adviser, Robert Malley.
Malley said he had been in contact with the Palestinian group, but only through his work for a “conflict resolution think tank,” and not on behalf of the Obama campaign, the newspaper reported.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton told FOX News Malley was “an ancillary adviser who never met with Obama, literally one of hundreds of informal advisers who from time to time offered advice on Middle East policy.”
Another Obama spokesman told The Times Malley “has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future.”
Hamas, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the State Department, is a touchy issue for the Obama campaign.
Hamas adviser Ahmed Yousef said in a recent interview, “We like Mr. Obama, we hope that he will win the election,” and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has poked fun at Obama for the apparent endorsement.
McCain has said he would be Hamas’ “worst nightmare”; he told “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart Wednesday that he could “guarantee” Hamas would not endorse him for president.
Obama accused McCain of “losing his bearings” and engaging in a smear campaign for the remarks.
FOX News’ Major Garrett contributed to this report.
New York Times article:
Barack Obama sacks adviser over talks with Hamas
Barack Obama had criticised former President Jimmy Carter for holding direct talks with Hamas
Tom Baldwin in Washington
One of Barack Obama’s Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas – prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him.
Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation. Such talks, he stressed, were related to his work for a conflict resolution think-tank and had no connection with his position on Mr Obama’s Middle East advisory council.
“I’ve never hidden the fact that in my job with the International Crisis Group I meet all kinds of people,” he added.
Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Mr Obama, responded swiftly: “Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future.” The rapid departure of Mr Malley followed 48 hours of heated clashes between John McCain, the Republican nominee-elect, and Mr Obama over Middle East policy.
Mr Obama, who has been trying to assuage suspicion towards him among the influential Jewish and pro-Israel lobby, spoke at a Washington reception marking the 60th anniversary of Israeli independence on Thursday when he promised that his commitment to the country’s security would be “unshakeable”. However, Mr McCain has high-lighted the Democrat’s pledge to negotiate directly with nations such as Iran – whose leaders talk of wiping Israel off the map – and a statement from Hamas saying that it hoped that Mr Obama would win the presidency.
This was denounced as an offensive smear by Mr Obama, who repeated earlier statements saying that Hamas was “a terrorist organisation [and] we should not negotiate with them unless they recognise Israel, renounce violence”.
He went on to suggest that Mr McCain’s attack showed that he was “losing his bearings”. This remark triggered a furious reaction from Mark Salter, the Republican’s senior adviser, who said that Mr Obama was “intentionally raising John McCain’s age as an issue” – a claim the Democrat vehemently denied. The intensity of this dispute reflects both Mr Obama’s desire to move beyond his battle with Hillary Clinton and how Republicans are already beginning to train their sights on him.
The Republican National Committee has amassed a 1,000-page dossier on Mr Obama, with researchers spending weeks in Chicago seeking fresh material. He is already being criticised for his links with Rashid Khalidi, a Columbia University professor who has branded Israel an “apartheid system in creation”.
Mr Malley, a respected commentator on Middle Eastern issues and part of President Clinton’s negotiating team at the Camp David talks, has come under attack in recent months from right-wing bloggers. Yesterday, asked if Obama campaign was aware of his contact with Hamas, he said: “They know who I am but I don’t think they vet everyone in a group of informal advisers.”
Randy Scheunemann, Mr McCain’s foreign policy chief, suggested that Mr Malley was part of an emerging pattern in which other advisers had been repudiated after throwing confusion over policies on trade and Iraq. “Perhaps because of his inexperience Senator Obama surrounds himself with advisers that contradict his stated policies,” he said.”
Once again, Obama has a serious problem with judging the character of his associates, those he brings into his organization or are his advisors.
Wonder how many of us will check out the websites and become enlightened??
WHAT THEN??
Part 1:
In just one year . Remember the election in 2006?
Thought you might like to read the following:
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3 ) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.
Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value
evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclos ure.
America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!
Remember it’s Congress that makes law not the President. He has
to work with what’s handed to him.
Quote of the Day……..”My friends, we live in the greatest nation in
the history of the world. I hope you’ll join with me as we try to change it.”
— Barack Obama
Part 2:
Taxes…Whether Democrat or a Republican you will find these statistics
enlightening and amazing.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
Taxes under Clinton 1999 Taxes under Bush 2008
Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $14,000 Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250
Both democratic candidates will return to the higher tax rates
It is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think
Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever.
If Obama or Hillary are elected, they both say they will repeal the Bush
tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the categories
above can’t wait for it to happen. This is like the movie The Sting with
Paul Newman; you scam somebody out of some money and they don’t even
know what happened.
PART 3:
You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much? Read this:
Boy am I confused. I have been hammered with the propaganda that
it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us.
I now find that to be RIDICULOUS.
I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded
over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader
gets sick of reading them. I have included the URL’s for verification
of all the following facts.
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on
welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments. Verify at:
http://www.tinyurl.com/zob77
http://www.tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on
food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school
lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at:
http://www.cis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
http://www.cis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on
Medicaid for illegal aliens. Verify at:
http://www.cis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
http://www.cis..org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on
primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and
they cannot speak a word of English! Verify at:
http://www.transcripts.cnn..com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born
children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Verify at
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Verify at:
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Verify at:
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on
illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.
Verify at: http://www.premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
http://www.premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused
by the illegal aliens. Verify at:
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
10. The illegal aliens in the United States
have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of white non-illegal
aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge
additional crime problem in the US. Verify at:
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed
our Southern Border also, as many as > 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the
U. S from the Southern border. Verify at: Homeland Security Report:
http://www.tinyurl.com/t9sht
http://www.tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National Policy Institute, “estimated
that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230
billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over
a five year period.” Verify at:
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their
countries of origin. Verify at:
http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
14. “The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration:
Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The
United States.” Verify at:
http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
Are we THAT stupid?
boxtop is a typical reichwing apologist………..
Take everything the republicans have f***** up in this country and spin it around to blame it ALL on the Democratic Party. Having “control” of Congress since 2006 doesn’t mean a whole lot when you have an idiot like bushco in the White House and lacking a Super majority.
SPIN
SPIN
SPIN
2001-2009 will always been known as the “Years of NTIONAL disgrace”!
george w. bush————-WORST PRESDIENT, EVER
………….brought to you by the republic party
Chas
Posted May 8, 2008 at 5:29 pm | Permalink
And, as for the $30 tab and the three guys.. I have shown several times that there is, in fact, no mystery… Depending on how you tell the story, that is.
=======================================================================
I see we have some advanced math people here. I found a problem that I found interesting. I would like to see how many get this correct.
.
Suppose you’re on a game show, and you’re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a “Around the world trip”; behind the others, pigs. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, regardless of which door you pick, must opens another door, say No. 3, which has a pig. He then says to you, “Do you want to pick door No. 2?” Is it to your advantage to switch your choice, disadvantage to switch your choice or does not matter if you switch?
—————————-
Answer if you dare!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before answering or replying to Boxlock’s post above, answer these two questions:
How many bills did Bush veto during the time Republicans “controlled” Congress?
How many bills has Bush vetoed during the less than two years Democrats “controlled” Congress?
NATHANIEL, I find I must applaud your very Zen approach to all this. Very understanding and forgiving of you towards others for their failing to foresee obstacles. People like me finding fault in the fact that electrical wiring of structures has become a proven science and if someone has been paid to wire housing for our troops. And short cuts and fatal work had been done, I find fault and believe they should be held accountable. Your understanding attitude about these simple and foreseeable obstacles is Admirable to say the least. The fact that it happened more then once before it was corrected, we can only assume it has been corrected or at least hope it has.
You have a valid point, it might not have been that plain in the beginning to warrant taking precautions against IEDs. And certainly it might actually take several months of content assaults from them before it becomes apparent there was a need to take precautions is understandable. The enemy is very adaptable and dealing with explosions is something new to our planners of war. On one occasion it took the second round going pass me before I had the realization I was being shot at myself and reacted! I owe them an apology for not being more understanding in this.
It was certainly my shortcoming to think that since our troops were being shot and killed in every quarter in Iraq. And only a select handful was issued body armor and even those issued PPDs were suffering pass through leading to injury and/or death. That there was a need for more and improved body armor is silly of me! The expenditure might be wasteful since the action could have ended at any moment. And the entire military is now all volunteers, they must know it could happen to them so what is there to become upset about. Certainly it would be naive to think just because it is happening that it will always be like that.
In the bigger picture, they all are individual incidents and should not be seen as a pattern or a need to anticipate. Thank you for opening my eyes to this.
But you were wrong on two points, first I do not hate or dislike Bush because those are momentary emotion that blinds. Hate or dislike is something you feel when the guy cuts you off in traffic not when the leader of your nation does what Bush has done. Second is that my thoughts, feeling and reactions have nothing what so ever to do with Politics. Certainly the raise or fall of G.W. Bush is neither my making nor my opinion of him would make a difference either way to him. This is about our troops pure and simple, it is about winning the battle, the war and defeating the enemy in the best way possible.
YOU may find it excusable and acceptable, you may think of it only in political terms. You may see it as at least the troops are not being sent into the conflict naked and their own protection being painted Blue!
We may not be able to foresee every turn, every attack or every change in direction. But that is not an excuse for allowing or excusing the failures to react and prevent the ones that can be.
Being Zen helps one to deal with the things that can not be avoided or foreseen. But being Zen about things that can be avoided or can be foreseen and there is a conscious choice to ignore. Is defeatist….
Laughing can be a form of excersize for bloggers:
The Government Man
Department of Water representative stopped at a farm and talked with an old farmer. He told the farmer, ‘I need to inspect your farm for your water allotment’
The old farmer said, ‘OK, but don’t go in that field over there.’
The Water representative said, ‘Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government behind me.
See this card? The card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land no questions asked; nor need be answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?’
The old farmer nodded politely and went about his farm chores.
Later, the old farmer heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running for the fence and close behind was the farmer’s huge-horned prize bull. The bull was gaining on the Water Rep with every step. The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old farmer immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out.
‘Your card! Your card! Show him your card!’
Now this is funny:
gster
Posted May 9, 2008 at 7:38 pm | Permalink
In response to a number of complaints that FOX News doesn’t show enough Black and Hispanic people on the network, FOX has announced that they will now air ‘ America ’s Most Wanted’ TWICE a week.
and its not just Bush. Now the House members are vowing to not pass any bills from the Dems.
See how this plays out? They even voted against their own mothers this year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/08/AR2008050802999.html
Big fat whiney babies. What is it going to take for them to realize that they’re screwing up? Every dem will win in the elections coming up as long as they keep acting like this. And now you cannot even remotely blame the dems for what they can’t pass. This is going to have far reaching consequences.
At least when the dems attempted to filibuster, we had good reason. We played along and humored your pathetic pork laden bills that Bush beamed as he passed. He should have just signed “to my corporate buddies”.
Seem to remember a post where Chas “unintentionally” hit the cap locks on a key word and later blamed it on his stroke.
“Chas
Posted May 10, 2008 at 1:07 am | Permalink
Notice to all Bloggers:
NATHAN NOW SPEAKS FOR IN DETERMINING WHO IS AND WHO ISNT A CHRISTIAN… HE HAS STATED THIS IN HIS OWN WORDS!! HE NOW KNOWS THE MIND OF CHRIST, AND HAS THE WISDOM OF GOD!!
PLEASE NOTE BELOW >>>>”
Intentional or Unintentional
How will the world ever know?
Reminds me of the Emo Phillips routine. He comes across a guy about to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge….
He said, “I do believe in God.”
I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
I said, “Me too. Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
I said, “Me too! What franchise?”
He says, “Baptist.”
I said, “Me too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Baptist.”
I said, “Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reform Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879 or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over!
For those coming to River estival - especially for the canoe rides or other ‘on-river’ activities:
“Just got word from Riverfest people that all water events have been canceled for today due to high water. They will reassess in the morning but I expect that the level will be higher tomorrow. Looks as if we may reschedule for next Saturday as we did last year.”
So, we will be playing it by ear.
“We played along and humored your pathetic pork laden bills that Bush beamed as he passed. He should have just signed “to my corporate buddies”
Say again, Political Momma?
“A group that tracks Congressional earmarks, aka pork-barrel spending, says the military spending bills that Democrats pushed through Congress dedicate tens of billions to projects and causes that are in no way related to the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Despite their campaign talk about earmark reform last fall, the new Democratic leadership shamelessly used pork to buy votes — before the vote, Representatives Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Peter DeFazio of Oregon acknowledged that add-ons for their districts would influence their decisions,” Thomas Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste writes in an essay on the op-ed page of The New York Times. “The heavyweights also led by example: the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, added $20 million to eradicate Mormon crickets, and David Obey of Wisconsin, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, came away with $283 million for the Milk Income Loss Contract Program.” USATODAY
And Ms. Nancy Boyda, our own Kansas democrat who when she ran for office, blasted republicans for their pork-barrel spending, added a few earmarks of her own for her district. Like a prison Museum
in Lansing.
Puleease!
And I will repeat, as I’ve said many times before: The pork will never stop until both sides quit pointing fingers at the other - and we, the citizens hold all the rascals accountable.
RA - Not at all clear to me if changing the choice would make a difference. Seems that the choice as presented is random.
I’ll toss out the “Lady and the Tiger” puzzle next week when I’ll be online for an extended time again.
“your pathetic pork laden bills that Bush beamed as he passed.”
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT (intentional caps):
From the 2008 Congressional Pig Book:
Pigs in the senate:
http://www.cagw.org/site/DocServer/Senate_-_dollar.pdf?docID=3024
Pigs in the house:
http://www.cagw.org/site/DocServer/House_-_dollar.pdf?docID=3022
Come one! Come all! Join me at the fence and watch the pigs at the trough. And then sit on the fence and whine about just the red pigs.
It’s only an earmark when you don’t support it. And you seem to forget that Republicans passed the LARGEST PORK BILL IN HISTORY a few years ago.
Here comes that good ole redirect by PMomma.
No, I did NOT forget. I have blasted those rascals too! Many times on the blog.
I am not blindly supporting ONE political party, as some seem to.
You are the one who cast the pork as a republican thing.
Pork is pork. It’s what’s for dinner. It all fries up the same way.
And you confirm my post. Pointing fingers PM will only help for this waste to continue.
Ben, a lot of people get this one wrong. Having P&S in college with an “A” grade, I was certain I knew the answer.
“only an earmark when you don’t support it”
“As in previous years, all of the items in the Congressional Pig Book Summary meet at least one of CAGW’s seven criteria, but most satisfy at least two:
Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
Not specifically authorized;
Not competitively awarded;
Not requested by the President;
Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
Serves only a local or special interest.”
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)
Ben, it looks like you are the only one brave enough to answer. The others don’t know and are afraid to guess.
Republicans In Charge:
$29 billion in the 2006 Congressional Pig Book
Democrats In Charge:
In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) into the 12 appropriations bills worth $17.2 billion.
The 11,610 projects represent a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007. The $17.2 billion is a 30 percent increase over the fiscal year 2007 total of $13.2 billion.
“It’s only an earmark when you don’t support it.”
But that brings up a very good point. We (the citizens) need a standard for pork.
Much like USDA standards for beef which include grading, we need to agree on a standard for earmarks, or an agreed definition.
The CAGW is on the right track.
I guess there as not as many math wizzards as I was lead to believe. Ony Ben was brave enough to answer. So sad.
AW I loved it! But now you get me started thinking of all the misunderstanding jokes I know.
“THE HORSE NO LOOK’A SO GOOODA”
A man decided to buy a horse for his kids to ride around the yard. Seeing an ad in the local paper Horse for sale… One hundred dollars. He went to the farm and met an old Italian man:
“Yes I am here about the horse you have for sale.”.
“OK’a but I’m tell’a you the horse…. He no look’a so Goooda”.
“Oh that’s Ok I am planning on buying it for my kids to ride around the yard”.
The old Italian man took the man to a pasture and pointed to an old horse standing in the middle of the pasture.
“Is the horse gentle?”
“Oh’a yes he is’a quiet’a Gentle’a…. But he’a no’a look’a so Good’a”.
The horse was sway back and seemed to have seen better days.
“ Is he gentle around children though?”.
“Oh’a yes’a, he like’a kids’a just a fine’a But he no look’a so good’a”.
“Can I ride him?”.
“Well’a sure’a…. But he’a no look’a so Good’a”
The man put a saddle and bridle on the horse and started riding the horse across the pasture.
The horse ran right into a five wire barb wire fence and the man ended up tangled up in the wire.
The old Italian man rushed over and help the man get untangled.
The went over to the horse and looked into the horse’s eyes.
“He’s blind!” exclaimed the man.
“ I did’a tell you, the horse, he no’a look’a so Good’a!”
Hey Right Angle: Can you ask us a geography question
instead?
Geography for $200…
An ole but a good one:
“Your dog bite?”.
“No”
“ Och the dog bit me!”
“that’s not my dog!”
Good one too. Maybe there should be a blog rule that the first post of the day (after the religious one of course) be a good ROTFLMAO joke.
Might prove too challenging.
An old joke thread! I love it!
So there’s these two guys at a bar and one of ‘em says, “Have you heard about that new place where, for fifty cents they give you a beer and a shot of whiskey and a free lunch then take you in the back room and you get laid?”
Other guys says, “Wait a minute. There’s a bar where you give ‘em fifty cents and they give you a beer and a bump, free lunch, and take you in the back to get laid?! Have you been to this place?”
“No, but my sister goes there all the time.”
I would like it, I love to tell jokes and hear them too. Of course I have a odd sense of humor at times.
I may see the humor in things others do not. But none the less it is a good thought.
Hey RA, just saw your problem.
If the first door is the trip, then obviously it makes no difference what you choose in next step. Result: can’t improve my advantage by choosing since a pig’s behind both remaining doors.
If door 1 is a pig, then in step 2 my odds are 1/2 that switching improves my advantage. This applies twice, so the odds of improving my chances are 1/2*1/2, or 1/4.
These are also the same odds for worsening my advantage. So the odds of improving my advantage are 1/4 + 1/4 or 1/2, and of course the odds of no improvement are also 1/2.
So Ben’s right: no advantage to be had by switching. Given your rules, my odds are 50/50 that I’ll end up with the pig…or the trip.
Why the hell is it then that I ALWAYS get the damn pig?
Off to do the yardwork. Political_mama I am not going to defend the republican party. But the issue of earmarks is near and dear to me. Even our State Legislature buys pork with our hard earned money.
We may disagree on what government should/should not provide as far as goods and services, but I’d hoped we could all agree there is waste in government.
My impression may be incorrect, but it seems to me many bloggers here are quick to put down the other party and we spend the day defending and attacking each party. I partake in this too.
Last time I remember, in my almost a year reading the WEBLOG, that there appeared to be mutual agreement was when people were fired up about the illegal immigration issue.
I’d like to see more of that, but I clearly have a conservative (vice republican) viewpoint, so my eyes may be blind too.
no look’a so Good’a”
Two stories in today’s Eagle.
Front page (above the fold) big headline:
Westar seeks rate hike for upgrades
Westar Energy customers in southern Kansas will likely see their power bills go up…
Westar is seeking a $22 million annual increase in rates through a mechanism called the “environmental cost recovery rider,” which allows the company to recover pollution-reduction costs without a formal rate case.
http://www.kansas.com/news/story/399601.html
Hidden back on page 7B:
Tax benefit spiked Westar’s profits
Westar Energy Inc. on Friday said that an income tax benefit and higher sales contributed to profits more than doubling during the first quarter.
For the three months ending March 31, Topeka-based Westar reported earning $60.9 million compared with $29.9 million during the same period a year ago.
http://www.kansas.com/business/updates/story/398790.html
“since a pig’s behind both remaining doors”
Why does it have to be pigs?
I think I’ll ask the wife to fry me up some bacon with my eggs this morning after chores.
Seem to have pork on my mind today.
The Arkansas legislation is considering a weighty question, if a legally married couple gets a divorce.
Can they still be called brother and sister?
Yeah I have things to do too.
Right angle,
That’s a modern version of the ’shell game’ choice with out the guy palming the pea of course.
If you have N doors and N=3, then choosing the 1st door without knowing what’s behind it leaves two thirds probability. When one door is shown to have a pig behind it, the probability has not really changed just because the door has been opened.
The better odds initially is to switch is before one door is opened, because you have a 2/3 probability of winning instead of 1/3.
Speaking of Arkansas –
Federal regulators close Arkansas bank
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Federal regulators says they’ve closed ANB Financial National Association banks after discovering “unsafe and unsound” business practices there.
David Barr, a spokesman for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says many customers served by the bank’s nine locations had accounts under $100,000, which will be fully insured by the government. Barr says customers can continue to write checks and draw money from ATMs through the weekend.
Barr says Pulaski Bank and Trust Co. agreed to assume control over ANB Financial’s bank locations, which will be open Monday.
As of Jan. 31, federal regulators say ANB Financial had about $2.1 billion in assets and $1.8 billion in total deposits.
It was the third closure this year of an FDIC-insured bank. Douglass National Bank, a Missouri bank with $58.5 million in assets, was shut in January; another Missouri institution with assets of $18.7 million, Hume Bank, was shut down in March.
Both were dwarfed in size of ANB Financial, where regulators found lax lending standards, mostly for construction and development loans for projects in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, as well as Arkansas.
Observers have been watching for signs of bank distress resulting from the mortgage crisis. Profits at federally insured U.S. banks and thrifts plunged to a 16-year low in the fourth quarter as institutions set aside a record-high amount to cover losses from sour mortgages.
The FDIC is planning to beef up its staff, including temporarily hiring up to 25 retired FDIC employees who worked in the agency’s more than 200-person division that handles failed banks. They will handle an anticipated increase in bank failures.
This is in Wal-Mart’s home town. You gotta believe a bunch of Wal-Mart execs banked with this operation (and, probably, thought they had way more than the hundred-grand insured by the FDIC.
Bear-Stearns, ANB, all the others… It’s looking like a 21st Century run on the banks.
My favorite old joke.
Three contractors died and went to Hell. Upon arrival, they noticed the place could use some fixing up, so they went to work. They built swimming pools and party rooms and tennis courts and lavish dining halls. Hell never looked so good.
So one day God wanders down to Hell and notices all the improvements. He thinks the place looks great, and that Heaven could use a little fixing up. He regretted sending the contractors to Hell and tried to bargain with the Devil to get the contractors back. But the Devil would have none of it, and stated in no uncertain terms, he would fight to keep the contractors.
So God, in a fit of frustration finally told the Devil “if you dont give me back the contractors, I’ll sue your ass off”.
To which the Devil snorted in reply, and then said “good try God, but where are you going to get a lawyer?”
(rimshot)
Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here at the BoomBoom Room all week….
American_Way,
It is rather simple.
Anytime you feel like Chas is being rude or wrong or whatever for typing in CAPS he couldn’t help it.
Otherwise, it was his choice.
Chas,
I know it is the weekend, so I don’t expect to be contacted. I’ll give you a pass for today.
I’d really like to know when we can buy some inexpensive home windmills for on top of our house that produces enough energy to matter.
Wind Turbines are still pretty expensive PMom. The problem with wind turbines in town, is that they have to be tall enough to get past the trees and other houses to get effective wind. That’ 20-40 feet.
Then there are ordinances that prevent tall structures from being built on residential properties without first being certified for flight collision standards, lightning grounds, support platform depth and soundness and of course sufficient clearance from utility lines and other structures.
Residential wind turbines are not usually big enough to create energy to sell back with the use of a kick back generator, but can be if the house is designed to be super efficient on energy use.
The generator would be an additional expense.
Dunno the cost, guessing around $10,000 for a cheap one with installation and permits.
Excuse my interruption. I’m trying to follow-up on an anonymous hand written letter I received.
It was very much chicken-scratch, so pardon me if I have not translated it into the Kings English very well. Some of the ink was smudged and some of the words were in all capital letters, but it did contain a link to this website.
Again, pardon me for the interruption, I was going to throw out the letter but the author of the letter appears to be somewhat distressed and is need of some assistance.
Not exactly sure if you know this writer, or if any of you can direct my inquiry to him, but if you are his friends I think you should be aware that a one, Chas, really needs someone to talk to about his problems. A shoulder to lean on.
I believe one of you here, should direct him to seek an experienced religious leader, a minister perhaps to help guide him in his time of need.
It seems he also has some physical medical problems as well as spiritual. He mentioned a stroke (poor lad) and I’m certain that affected not only the use of CAPS with certain words, but the entire content of his writing as well.
If any of you know this chap, please refer him to appropriate professional help.
I will drop by when I get a free moment to check on any possible leads on this soul. Every soul seeks salvation and I am certain that someone with clergy experience could certainly assist in this case.
Thank-you
Head Chaplain Corpse
I’ve been reading about the new “Stalker” law and wondering if it extends to internet stalking?
heh Chaplain,
That would be Head Chaplain Corps, not Corpse.
Geez regular could you BE any more trolly?
I think Ben has given me the correct answer in his own way.
Anyone else care to try and answer the “post of RightAngle”
Posted May 10, 2008 at 8:10 am
Where is Chase?
Sorry if you misinterpret normal discussion with being a troll PMom.
I’ll try not to be polite and answer any questions next time or make a remark.
Regular, why not design a turbine that doesn’t have to be way up in the air? Do the turbines on the houses now need to be high to get them to move? Nope. I’m sure they could be built far more efficiently.
I do understand those turbines suit another purpose, but why can’t they be modified to serve the energy purpose?
Think of it, four or five in a row on the top of the roof…each side. The spinning of them alone could power an attic full of batteries.
They could be their own generator if designed right.
RightAngle,
I did give you the correct answer at 10:44.
It’s an “NSpaces” problem with no influencing permutations involved.
Guess it could. I understand the new “Stalking” law makes it easier for a person to get the authorities involved. Supposed to be a great new weapon for law enforcement.
Cyber Stalking is the use of the Internet, e-mail or other telecommunications technology to harass or stalk another person.
Stalking is a Crime
Menacing by stalking is the act of a person who knowingly engages in a pattern of conduct that causes you to believe that the offender (stalker) will cause you physical harm or causes mental distress to you.
*”Pattern of Conduct” means two or more actions or incidents occur in a short period of time
*”Mental Distress” means any mental illness or condition that would normally require counseling. However, counseling is NOT required to obtain legal remedies.
If a person follows, pursues, or harasses you in a threatening manner on more than one occasion, this person may be guilty of stalking.
Regular, I will show you how Ben is correct at 1:00 PM IF NO one else cares to answer.
Dunno lindainks, one of our resident lawyers might answer on the new law.
The problem with Internet stalking as I found out, is that the remedy is usually unsatisfactory to the user in proportion to the amount of energy and finances spent (under the old laws)
My guess is that hasn’t changed. Change of environment which involves no cost is a consideration that the Judge will view as a determiner in a civil case as a remedy.
i.e., leave the blog or chat channel.
Doing that with a house is not so easy.
Good point!
I’ve always advocated controlling the need for a rebuttal as being the best defense against a cyber bully or insults.
Problem Solution: To determine the probability of an event.
Problem Solution Definition: Probability of an event is the sum of the probabilities of the outcomes it contains.
Where A,B,C = N Space holders for each door.
If one switches the probability of winning is:
Function of (Pr)obability = Pr
Hence:
Method: where Pr= Pr of the combinations of A,B,C
+Pr(A,B,C)
+Pr(A,C,B)
+Pr(B,A,C)
+Pr(B,C,A)
+Pr(C,A,B)
+Pr(C,B,A)
(note: shift right registration on the combinations)
thus,
1/9 + 1/9 + 1/9 + 1/9 + 1/9 + 1/9 = 6/9 = 2/3
The higher probably of winning will be two thirds (2/3)
That’s the determinant in the way I interpreted it RightAngle.
lindainks55
Posted May 10, 2008 at 11:59 am | Permalink
I’ve been reading about the new “Stalker” law and wondering if it extends to internet stalking?
==============================================
Yep, Linda… been wondering about that myself. Wonder how the Editors would handle that with the new registration procedure??
er the determinant way when using switching from the first door to the two doors will yield a higher probability of winning. heh
(crosses eyes)
Registration would be another tool available to law enforcement, wouldn’t it? Of course, with proper legal avenues followed! None of this stupid bushco ways of doing things.
Chas, I honestly think you must ignore each and every taunt! Always! Without exception! Bite your tongue, say it in an email to an understanding friend, get on your knees and discuss with your most trusted friend. Don’t allow yourself to be part of that gang!
You do show your butt sometimes! Ya know, I’m saying this with your best interests in mind.
Allow them to be that kind of poster while you are concentrating on being a good blog citizen.
I know Linda… damnn sock puppets anyway!!
You’ve got my email address! I’m a good sounding board. I may need you to return the favor some days!
Regular- Yes only you and Ben answered it corectly.
I think Ben chose not to disclose the answer directly but he gave it away that he knew the correct answer by saying he was going to post the lady and the lion puzzle which is a version of mine.
see: http://www.amazeingart.com/fun/lady-tiger-answer.html
From now on I know that I can trust Ben and Regular FOR CORRECT math questions.
Chas, there was an article in this morning’s Eagle about the spotlight on the United Church of Christ as the result of Obama running for president. It talked of a sacred conversation on race to be held in churches across the nation on May 18th.
I can’t find a link to the exact article in our local paper, but here’s what I found:
http://www.ohio.com/news/18236694.html
I want a cookie RightAngle.
heh - thanks for making my brain work on this lazy Saturday morning. Otherwise, I would have be self-absorbed into some aspect of life that doesn’t really matter.
Yes, Regular, most people will see two remaining doors and say it’s a 50-50 chance. Things are not always as the appear even in mathmatics. As far as a cookie, look in you web brouser file, I think you should find several cookies.
Price of Stamps Go up to 42 Cents on 14 May 2008.
However, one can still use the “forever” stamps.
What is a “Forever” Stamp?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. Now see it for the first time. It’s the Postal Service’s newest consumer innovation — the Forever stamp. The stamp was previewed today at the National Postal Forum, the premier trade show for advertising, marketing and mailing executives. Featuring the Liberty Bell image and the word “forever,” the stamp will be good for mailing one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future — regardless of price changes. The Forever stamp goes on sale April 12 at 41 cents. Customers can begin using the stamp when postage changes May 14.
“Who said nothing lasts forever?” remarked Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer John E. Potter in unveiling the image here at the National Postal Forum. “The Forever stamp is a consumer innovation guaranteed to deliver unprecedented convenience and value to our customers. It’s good forever.”
To see an image of the “forever” stamp and read the rest of the article on it, go to this URL.
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007/sr07_011.htm
Good, accurate article, Linda!! Thanks!!
Well crap.
Looks like I misunderstood your question. I thought that no matter what, the first pick wasn’t available (I didn’t read carefully enough to see that the chooser had the option to keep the first pick).
So either way, my mistake.
You know, I think I remember when a version of this puzzle was published in Marilyn Vos Savant’s column in Parade. Your link, RA, says that happened waaay back in 1990.
Pedant, That puzzle was a regular feature on the old TV Show, Let’s Make A Deal
Yes, Regular, most people will see two remaining doors and say it’s a 50-50 chance. Things are not always as the appear even in mathmatics. As far as a cookie, look in you web brouser file, I think you should find several cookies.
Hey, no fair! I didn’t even see this until now!
But it’s just as well, as I’d heard this one before, so that’d be “cheating.”
http://www.letsmakeadeal.com/problem.htm
“If a person follows, pursues, or harasses you in a threatening manner on more than one occasion, this person may be guilty of stalking.” — links
Or completely hysterical people will cause perfectly innocent people to be arrested.
Forgot to explain the 1/9.
The different combinations representing the door choices were shown by A,B or C.
This results in six sets of matrices (X,X,X,) as shown above in the post at 12:37.
i.e.(A,B,C…)
The possible roll on each door also had 3 combinations (prize,pig,pig) for an determinant of 9 (sum total of the each probability instance)
Since there were two doors left, this represents 6 matrices of 9 determinants. i.e. 6/9 for the grand total.
This means that each matrix (door) representing the value of 1
…resulting in a 1 in 9 probability or 1/9 for each door (6/9 distribution over 6 space holding matrices = 1 matrix has a value of 9.
Backwards resolution, not sure I explained it very well, anyway left that part out of how I solved the problem (-20 points for not showing my work.)
“Regular, why not design a turbine that doesn’t have to be way up in the air? Do the turbines on the houses now need to be high to get them to move?” — p.m.
When I first read this, I put my hand on my face, and muttered again “a-a-a-a-r-r-r-r-g-g. But on second thought, I wondered how much energy could be captured from an attic full of heat, especially if they were designed that way. The turban-shaped “turbines” atop houses are actually exhaust vents, and they turn because they are exhausting hot air from the house, though no doubt, winds could make them spin, too. I imagine if you put little generators in them, and designed attics to capture heat rather than shed it, you might be able to recover some power. Maybe enough to recharge the batteries in a video game?
Also, since the combination of the first set of matrices were excluded to the solution (door #1), the set included the “9″ instance for the total number of matrices (3 sets of 3 matrices)
Okay, I better quit before someone who remembers Calculus, cuts my legs off.
Perhaps you missed the part about innovation to produce enough energy to matter. I’m sure you did.
And the part about using them for a different purpose….
I think the reason for the height of the wind turbines is because of the air flow interruption by natural and artificial structures (trees and buildings)
If you look at the tops of trees, you can see much more dynamic movement of wind than you can at the bottom portion, primarily due to mass is bigger towards the bottom of the branches than at the top.
Palm trees are different?
Also, I suppose that heat rises from radiating back from the earth causing it to be more windy. The reverse during night (except for storm fronts)
Instead of me guessing here’s a very good article on how wind works in regard to wind turbines.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/wind-power.htm
Anybody like Indiana Jones??? THREE movies from now until 8 p.m. USA Network
“Perhaps you missed the part about innovation to produce enough energy to matter. I’m sure you did.” — p.m.
I don’t think you can innovate your way around the laws of physics.
You gain x amount of wind speed per x amount of height. I can’t remember what either x is.
Interesting to note that the giant wind turbines always turn at the same speed… regardless of the speed of the wind.
“And the part about using them for a different purpose….” — p.m.
Like grinding the seeds you find in your dried feces to make your bread instead of using a flat stone? Actually, that’s not original. I read it in an editorial about a small town city council years ago.
Must depend more on the kind of generator used, than the speed of the wind in x locations…
If you want housetop energy, go solar. No moving parts, and the tech is here, and competitive. That is, the installation will pay for itself.
Linda,
Posting on a public blog is hardly stalking. I suppose Chas could always turn someone in.
We have all seen how well that has worked out for him so far.
LOL
“The problem with Internet stalking as I found out, is that the remedy is usually unsatisfactory to the user in proportion to the amount of energy and finances spent”
“Dunno lindainks, one of our resident lawyers might answer on the new law.” Regular
The amended stalking law allows law enforcement to get involved sooner if they believe a resident is being threatened. Threatened with physical harm, the victims family, or even a pet. It clarifies the definition of stalking and imposes stronger penalties. Legislators passed the measure in response to the death of Jodi Sanderholm of Arkansas City, who was murdered by an alleged stalker.
Stalking:
Intentional, malicious and repeated following or harassment of another person and making a credible threat with the intent to place such person in reasonable fear for such person’s safety.
Amendment:
Amend the crime of stalking to include the following parts: –Intentionally or recklessly engaging in a course of conduct targeted at a specific person which would cause a reasonable person in the circumstances of the targeted person to fear for such person’s safety, or the safety of a member of such person’s immediate family and the targeted person is actually placed in such fear;
Commencement of proceedings; persons seeking relief orms; no docket fee; confidentiality exceptions. (a) A person may seek relief under the protection from stalking act by filing a verified petition with the district judge or clerk of the court in the county where the stalking occurred. A verified petition must allege facts sufficient to show the following:
(1) The name of the stalking victim;
(2) the name of the defendant;
(3) the dates on which the alleged stalking
behavior occurred; and
(4) the acts committed by the defendant that
are alleged to constitute stalking.
It appears the amendment was made in reference to the “physical” threatening of a person. The change allows law enforcement to get involved sooner.
Has anyone blogging threatened the life or safety of another blogger? Has there been
any violation of the act committed against a “specific person” by name? Has the defendant been identified by name? And we need the SPECIFIC acts that are alleged
to constitute stalking.
Haven’t seen any of the specific requirements been met on the WEBLOG. But there are other blogs and newsgroup bulletin boards out there with some pretty wild threats. Haven’t seen any of those prosecuted.
Credible threat with intent?
Like Regular stated, I think a lawyer blogger could advise us on the technical aspects.
blogmonitor = BM LOL
Pedant
Posted May 10, 2008 at 1:31 pm | Permalink
Well crap.
Looks like I misunderstood your question. I thought that no matter what, the first pick wasn’t available (I didn’t read carefully enough to see that the chooser had the option to keep the first pick).
So either way, my mistake.
You know, I think I remember when a version of this puzzle was published in Marilyn Vos Savant’s column in Parade. Your link, RA, says that happened waaay back in 1990.
=========================================
Yes Pedant,
It was in Parade as the “Monty Hall Problem.
See link:
http://en.wikipedia.org:80/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem
Ben,
I should have checked here first about the canoe rides. We walked up from Century II, but found no canoes or anything, so at least now I know why.
We did make the Art & Book Fair, and I got a pritine copy of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” for $1, along with several other books and some VHS movies. It’s become a RiverFest tradition for us each year, even if it’s the only thing we do.
Chas,
I have all three Indiana Jones on VHS and will be getting the DVD set of same on Tuesday. I’ll wait to watch them then. I’m also impatiently awaiting the 22nd, when the new Indy will be in theaters.
Yeah, I guess you could say I’m a fan.
Me too PreD
Only problem I got here, PreD is no theaters within 35 miles!! LOL
Beber, and I’m sure someone laughed at the first guy who looked at that black tarry stuff and thought, you know gee, someday, maybe if we did something with this, we could power millions of cars. Or the guy who considered piping natural gas to every home?
How much money do you suppose it took to accomplish these feats?
As for your last comment, that shows just how classy you are dude. Disgusting pig. Why do I even bother, someone like you should be in jail. How does it feel to be despised completely by the left and the right?
“and I’m sure someone laughed at the first guy who looked at that black tarry stuff and thought”
How about the first cowboy that leaned against the fence and said “see that bull over there - I am going to eat his nuts.”
Or the first fisherman that said “see these oysters - they taste mighty good raw - despite the fact that they look like something that fell out of a cow’s nose..”
As for that guy - name to be unmentioned - strictly scroll over territory.
The wind is horrible! Pre, was it as bad downtown? I was out early - Ginger has to go to the nearby park to check smell mail — and then just now to the grocery. WOW! The wind did pick up since this morning!
We used to always go to RiverFest but haven’t in the past few years. Too much of what we enjoyed doesn’t happen and neither of us works downtown any longer so we don’t have those guaranteed parking spaces we enjoyed for many years. Sometimes I feel guilty for not supporting the city party. Does the fact that I pick up trash in our little nearby city park most every day redeem me?
I still don’t see it, Right Angle.
If you choose a door (let’s say it’s 1) and the host opens another door (let’s say it’s 3) which doesn’t have a prize, then you know that the prize is behind either door number one or door number two.
All that crap about “matricies” is irrelevant once one of the choices has been eliminated.
A choice between two doors equals a 50-50 chance like flipping a coin.
Linda,
You’re absolved of any RF duty.
Yes, it was very windy! We got there before 11 and left about 3. The wind had definitely picked up by the time we left.
I found it sad to learn that this is the last year for the bathtub races. They just aren’t drawing enough participants, I heard. Still it was nice to see the 184th KANG Jayhawks are still in it this year. That’s who we used to cheer for, since my ex was a KANGer.
We rarely go to anything during the week. It’s too much of a hassle. One daughter, son-in-law, and their 3 kids went to the parade last night. I opted out of going. Too many other things to do. Oldest daughter and granddaughter went this AM, and the two remaining are there now. We plan to do the fireworks on the riverbank next Saturday, as we always do. Provided they’re held, of course.
I can’t say you’re missing a whole lot, although I do love the concert and fireworks.
Okay, I looked at the link–it has to do with the fact that the host who knows what is behind each door always reveals a pig.
That eliminates one of the initial possibilities so you’d have a 2/3rds chance of picking the right door if you switched.
Be interesting to try this with cards and see if it played out as the theory suggests . . .
Okay, here’s a weird one.
I unearthed the POW bracelet I got in 1971. The name on it is Lt. Col. Jack Van Loan. I just googled the name and found that he had been released in 1973, after having been captured in 1967.
Another Google link took me to a Kiwanis club newsletter, which had the following:
January 17th
Kiwanis Guest Day
Col. Jack Van Loan,
Motivational Speaker,
Shared a cell with Sen.
John McCain at the Hanoi
Hilton during the Vietnam
War
To follow up–another way to think about it is that the fact that the host didn’t open the door that you switch to tells you that there’s a better than average change the prize is behind it.
That’s not weird, that’s interesting! I wonder who he is supporting for POTUS?
IIRC Monty Hall used to try to argue the contestant to switch, on the CHANCE the prize was behind the unselected door…. the harder he tried to get them to switch, sometimes meant they had aleady selected the prize…
Hey, maybe we can get the Van Loan guy to swear that McCain didn’t really earn his purple hearts . . .
He’s probably brainwashed by now, CapN
CapnAmerica
What really confuses people is that if the host opens a door before you make your first choise, then the odds go back to 50-50.
My son made a computer program with ramdom number generator to check this out and sure enough it can out close to 66% better to chose the other door with 1,000,000 tries.
Boxshlock wrote: Taxes under Clinton 1999 Taxes under Bush 2008
Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 30K - tax $4,500 etc. etc.
Snope.com debunked this crap already.
Here’re the real figures, from “The Tax Foundation,” (ironically, this is the source Boxshlock claims he got it from):
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/23003.html
Single, income of 30,000. . . . .$3,157.50 $2,756.25
Single, income of 50,000. . . . .$7,262.50 $6,606.25
Married, income of $50,000. . . $5,085.00 $4,012.50
Married, income of $60,000. . . $6,585.00 $5,512.50
Single, income of $75,000. . . .$14,262.50 $12,856.25
Married, income of $75,000. . . $9,426.50 $7,762.50
Single, income of $125,000*. . $29,378.50 $26,472.25
Married, income of $125,000*. .$23,426.50 $19,462.50
The people at the bottom get a tiny little tax break and the people at the top get a huge one.
What really confuses people is that if the host opens a door before you make your first choise, then the odds go back to 50-50.
Right. That makes sense actually. Because what increases your odds in the original scenario is that the host eliminates a door that you didn’t choose.
If he eliminates a door before you choose, that means that he didn’t eliminate a door you didn’t choose so the advantage is lost on the remaining door.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/magazine/27wwln-idealab-t.html?ref=magazine
“The past three decades have seen a momentous shift: The rich became vastly richer while working-class wages stagnated. Economists say 80 percent of net income gains since 1980 went to people in the top 1 percent of the income distribution, boosting their share of total income to levels unseen since before the Great Depression.”
Remember that when the CONs give you that “97 percent of the income tax is paid by the top 50 percent” crap. Of course, they make more money. Duh.
“The Census Bureau has tracked the economic fortunes of affluent, middle-class and poor American families for six decades. These tabulations reveal a wide partisan disparity in income growth. The real incomes of middle-class families grew more than twice as fast under Democratic presidents as they did under Republican presidents. Even more remarkable, the real incomes of working-poor families (at the 20th percentile of the income distribution) grew six times as fast when Democrats held the White House. Only the incomes of affluent families were relatively impervious to partisan politics, growing robustly under Democrats and Republicans alike.
“The cumulative effect of these partisan differences is enormous. If the pattern of income growth under postwar Republican presidents had matched the pattern under Democrats, incomes would be more equal now than they were in 1950 — a far cry from the contemporary reality of what some observers are calling a New Gilded Age.
More at link.
Nobody said you have to smart to vote Republican . . .
“As for your last comment, that shows just how classy you are dude. Disgusting pig. Why do I even bother, someone like you should be in jail. ” — p.m.
For accusing you of grinding your feces to make your bread? I wasn’t aware that was illegal.
“CapnAmerica
Posted May 10, 2008 at 6:53 pm | Permalink
Hey, maybe we can get the Van Loan guy to swear that McCain didn’t really earn his purple hearts . . .”
Capn, that’s uncalled for. He was aPOW after all.
American_Way and writerdog,
Thanks for the great jokes!
It is great to see the lighter side!
“incomes would be more equal now than they were in 1950 — a far cry…”
Who said everyone should be equal in income? Cry is the correct word for it. Kleenex is probably too expensive. There is a generic box available at Wally World.
I don’t give a damn about the Hannah Montana phenomenon, but after the comment you made, Beber about Miley Cyrus, you should be should, beaten and then thrown in jail for life.
After they cut your nuts off.
Pervert.
Should be shot……………….
Ah, typos………..
“Who said everyone should be equal in income?”
Nobody said that… If you would post the entire quote, you would easily see that…
beber
It took a lot but have brought this blog to an all time low — history in the making —- please no more of those really disgusting visuals —- thought Jimmy Mac in depends was low —- you beat him by a mile —
“under Democratic presidents as they did under Republican presidents.”
I’m not sold on the idea that one man, one president makes much of a difference regarding the economy or financial wealth of individual citizens.
I am more inclined to believe that the US Congress, with their budget decisions (and indecisions) are a greater influence than the policy of one man.
Much of the economy goes in cycles regardless of who is “the one”.
In a way, it will be interesting to see if when the democrats take both chambers of congress and the white house - if happy times will suddenly be here again.
But if they aren’t, I am cock sure of one thing:
You will blame it on the previous administrations.
“The people at the bottom get a tiny little tax break and the people at the top get a huge one.”
As it should be. When the young grow, age, and mature in their professions - they too will earn more, pay more in taxes, and get more back.
It’s natural to start at the bottom and work your way up. Surely you are not wanting just to start at the top?
Being jealous is not a significant reason to change the natural progression of things.
“I am more inclined to believe that the US Congress”
The budget process begins with the President providing a budget plan for the up coming fiscal year.
Since Nixon, NO Republican president has even suggested a proposed balanced budget.
Not, Reagan, not Bush I or Bush II.
Never.
Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980 and won largely because he PROMISED to balance the Federal budget.
He never EVEN proposed a balanced budget in his eight years in office.
Not once.
Not one god damned time.
Not one motherforkin’ time.
He never proposed a balanced budget, despite his bald faced lie that he would end deficit spending a return America to fiscal responsibility.
“American way” is AKA “Regular” AKA “JM”
AKA welfare recipient who has not worked in years.
Has nothing to do with my post Clark.
Read again.
“As it should be.”
Bullshit - we can’t afford tax breaks. We can’t afford anymore tax cuts. We are on the verge of bankruptcy. We are the largest debtor nation in the history of mankind.
We have to pay down the $9.4 trillion debt!
We cannot continue the course of tax cuts and more deficit spending.
In other news.
Barack Obama apparently has visited 57 of the 59 states of the United States?
Off to find a good link.