This excellent, fun and creative campaign ad comes from the Steve Novick for Senate Campaign in Oregon.
And on another fun note, check out what his campaign team wears when hitting the campaign trail.
This campaign sure knows how to turn potential troubles into marketing gold (Yes, he really does have a hook). Check out Novick’s Campaign site here.
With growing international discontent towards the US and the shift away from international trade among US lawmakers, Canada has steeped up to take the lead on trade and economic cooperation in the Americas. With US lawmakers and groups complaining that free-trade is evil and destroying us all and the damaged image of the US throughout Latin America it’s no surprise that Canada was happy to step in and lead the region towards a positive economic future.
Recently, Canada signed an amazing and historic free-trade agreement with Peru. Canada currently holds agreements with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile and is also pursuing possibilities with Columbia and other Central/South American and Caribbean nations.
Canada is the second-largest economy in the western hemisphere and in the Americas. The nation is generally well accepted and has maintained a positive regional and international image. Canada is very open to international trade and under Stephen Harper their commitment to trade has grown even greater. Although current trade with Latin America is small in relative levels, these trade agreements will enable the nations to mutually benefit and expand their trade capacities with one another, thus benefiting both sides.
Although the US has a hard time talking up trade anymore, it is great to see that Canada is stepping forward. The US is economically regressing into areas of protectionism and Canada is opening up even more and embracing the many benefits and opportunities free-trade in the Americas can offer.
The Americas need free-trade. Trade benefits us all and it’s excelent to see Canada stepping forward to lead the way. Three cheers for Canada!
You read the headline correctly! The Documentary by Al gore, An Inconvenient Truth is scheduled to be made into an opera for the 2011 season. It is scheduled to be on stage in the Milan Operahouse in Italy and composed by Giorgio Battistelli.
To Be honest I do not know much about the creation of a new opera, yet I have to wonder… how does a documentary film or in this case a filmed PowerPoint presentation, truly portray the same essence when put in verse to music? I am sure there will be some true originality in the lyrics to incorporate scientific lingo and the word carbon again and again. I have to say thought that I am not overly enticed to rush out and get tickets.
Hmm… what’s next, a Super Size Me or Fahrenheit 9/11 opera?
Recently on the news gas price coverage has dominated the story. However, when the news began to link gas prices with pain, suffering, and psychological hurt I began to get annoyed. Then the news continued to explain how bad we Americans have it and how horrible it is that our gas prices have broken $4.00 in some areas. Gas prices are higher than they have been at some points in the past, but paying them is still a choice. Also, times like this are not unheard off. Simply look to the oil crisis of the 1980’s. Calculating for inflation, gas prices in 1985 are comparable to the prices of today.
By the way America, we have nothing on Europe, where gas prices have broken the equivalent of $10 a gallon. If you don’t like the price of something don’t buy it. Change your habits and find another option. Complaining doesn’t fix anything. Look to other transportation alternatives. Get a bike or learn to use those legs of yours for walking! Stop paying for gas and get in shape at the same time! There are plenty of alternatives. This doesn’t mean you have to cut out the car all together, you can if you like or you can just cut down on the amount of time you spend driving. Take a bike or public transportation to work, walk to a central location and meet friends or co-workers for a carpool, or simply walk period. There is always a way to save money and cut costs. You simply have to make the right choices. Think hard and you will see that there are plenty of non-car methods of getting from point A to point B, sure it will require some sacrifices and perhaps some loss of convenience. But aren’t you currently sacrificing a lot as it is financially? Just think about it…
Note: I want to stress what this post is saying and what it is not saying. In response to emails I have received, this post is not referring to or suggesting that individuals who use cars for work, i.e. cab drivers, truckers, and so on should find new jobs or another means of doing their job. This item is targeting those who get up, drive to work, park, sit in an office, and drive home while passing by multiple means of public transportation, walking routes, and bike paths. The post is meant to talk to those who have options available to them yet choose to ignore them or have not considered them. Also, this post is not touching the issue of gas prices and their connection to food prices and so on, I am merely addressing the topic from the individual standpoint of people complaining of the direct cost from the pump to their car. Also, no where did I advocate for the elimination of cars or of gas as a whole from society nor did I speak positively of the high cost of gas. Nor did I make any comparison between car usage in the US and Europe, I merely mentioned gas price comparisons. Yes, I understand more people in the US use cars and own more cars, some think of that as a positive others as a negative. I did not address that issue nor did I intend to. Please email (theSkittzo@gmail.com) or comment if you want further clarification or have comments.
Related theSkittzo posts:
What Makes those Gas Prices So High?
Pres of Shell Oil Calls for Increased American Oil Production
Well, probably not… but according to Obama his Uncle was among the first American troops to liberate Auschwitz during WWII. The only problem with that story is that Auschwitz was liberated not by Americans, but by the Soviets. The Red Army moved in and liberated those at Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945. In fact the first camp liberated by American troops was not until the spring of 1945.
However, Obama stated:
I had a uncle who was one of the, who was part of the first American troops to go into Auschwitz and liberate the concentration camps.
Does Obama have trouble with History or is there a bigger issue here? Could he be campaigning from the Clinton play book? Or perhaps is this the Al Gore “I invented the Internet” strategy? Facts were confused, locations and armies mixed up. Even the relatives relation was slightly manipulated to make the ‘uncle’ appear to have closer ties to Obama himself. When in fact the individual was one of Obama’s parent’s uncles. Not his.
According to the Obama campaign:
Senator Obama’s family is proud of the service of his grandfather and uncles in World War II – especially the fact that his great uncle was a part of liberating one of the concentration camps at Buchenwald. Yesterday he mistakenly referred to Auschwitz instead of Buchenwald in telling of his personal experience of a soldier in his family who served heroically.
Hmm, well mistakes can be made. I am glad he his proud of his Family and their military history.
A man convicted and executed for the rape and murder of a 12 year old girl 86 years ago has been officially pardoned today. New information, proper evidence, and modern criminology has shown that the evidence in the case did not connect the accused with the crime.
On New Year’s Eve in 1921 Colin Campbell Ross of Melbourne, Australia, the owner of a local wine saloon was accused of rape and murder. He was tried and hung within four months of the start of 1922. He was 28 years old and today is an innocent man. It is tragic that a man so young was wrongly accused and was forced to suffer death for the actions of another. This is sadly a shining example of why the death penalty must be abolished. There are no do-overs in death. Once a mistake has been made there is no going back.
In the Victoria state of Australia the death penalty was abolished in 1975. It’s about time the US followed their lead.
CNN Story here.
Related theSkittzo posts:
Will Nebraska Be the Next State to Abolish the Death Penalty?
Gas prices are up, sales of small cars and hybrids are up, and dealers aren’t playing dumb. Dealers have begun to raise the prices on new and used small cars and hybrids. They are selling some at $3,000 or $4,000 over sticker price, some even higher. Even individual owners of older and small cars like the old Geo Metros, and 1980’s and early 90’s version of the Civic Hatchback are selling them on eBay and through other venues above previously understood values. See the CNN Video Report here.
As prices rise on gas and vehicles, even those of an environmentally friendly nature and those once considered cheap and old, what is to become of America’s driving habits?
The Russian Communist Party is calling for a Russian boycott of the recently released Indiana Jones movie. They are claiming that the film “aims to undermine communist ideology and distort history.” It is one thing to have opinions, and to join the communist party. That is ones right. However… some of the statements from party members are rather absurd.
According to a CNN report, Moscow Communist lawmaker Andrei Andreyev stated:
It is very disturbing if talented directors want to provoke a new Cold War.
Honestly, I find it disturbing that when new movies are released that the first thing on the minds of Soviet, ehm… excuse me, Russian Commies is a new Cold War. How does an Indiana Jones movie taking place in the 50’s with a KGB agent equal a call for a new cold war? I suppose only the Russian Communists know that answer… because the movie itself, and the US have no interest in another Cold War, and Russia isn’t quite in the situation for another one anyhow. The world stage is no longer set in the same way and this is no longer a bi-polar US/Russia centric world.
A reminder to those angered by the film… its fiction, it’s a story, and it’s only a movie.
So today I was a little disappointed while watching one of the few TV shows I enjoy. Before I explain why, I ask this, “Have you ever had the feeling that people were kicked from reality shows for the wrong reasons or that others should have won?” With this said, I was watching the clips for the next episode that they play at the end of the current episode. Then something caught my eye. It was a very fast, about 1 second of flashed text on the bottom of the screen right after a transition. Granted this would be the best time to place something you don’t want people to see since it is when the eyes are confused from the transition and focusing on the new picture.
Anyways… I slowed the episode done and read what it said. It says,
Winning and elimination decisions were made by the judges in consultation with producers. Some elimination decisions were discussed with BRAVO.
This proves the show as a total lie!!! The show is filmed and leads you to think that the judges and the visiting judges make all the decisions. Then they attempt to hide these facts with quick and careful editing. I think this is a very sad and has personally ruined the show for me. I will no longer be watching this show since the best does not win, but the one BRAVO (the network) and the producers want to win…
In a recent speech in Florida Sen. Clinton linked the 2000 Florida Election chaos to her own election woes. Stating that “The votes should not be thrown away on a technicality,” as a rallying attempt to have the Florida delegates seated at the convention in Denver. Strangely enough this is a technicality she herself would have supported in the past, especially if it had benefited her or her friends. The fact is the state Democratic party ignored the national party. They had rules to follow, they deliberately disobeyed them. The party has a right to punish them or not – but it is up to party governance.
Clinton continued however to link the Florida primary to the recent presidential election in Zimbabwe. Yes, I’m serious. She states:
We’re seeing that right now in Zimbabwe. Tragically, an election was held, the president lost, they refused to abide by the will of the people
People who choose to be democrats and choose to vote democrat must abide by their party’s rules or change them. In Florida the people knew before they cast their votes that the state party had broken rules. It was all over the news. They could have told their party to stop, think, and potentially have avoided this whole mess. But they didn’t, they went along with it.
The people have spoken by not speaking up, let their will be done! An election was held, Clinton lost, let’s move on.
Yes, it is that time, the time for early VP running mate predictions! These predictions are not official and are based on my own educated, analytical, and experience based assumptions. The listed names appear in no specific order.
Obama VP Possibilities:
McCain VP Possibilities:
There you have it, my insights on potential, possible VP slot contenders for the presidential nominees from the Dems and the GOP. Disagree? Have your own ideas or thoughts? Let me know by leaving your comments below.
Related theSkittzo Posts:
A McCain Idea Anyone Can Get Along With!
Ron Paul Likes Obama for President
A representative from GAO was speaking on C-SPAN this morning on a congressional report released this month on the effectiveness of Nursing Home monitoring. And guess what? The final conclusion was:
Federal Monitoring Surveys Demonstrate Continued Understatement of Serious Care Problems and CMS Oversight Weaknesses.
As a Marketing major, surveys are one of my most sacred tools to capture accurate information. It is because of this that I am astonished by the GAO’s recommendations on how to correct the survey’s flaws in administering the surveys. The recent Executive Action was issued:
- Executive Action -
To address weaknesses in CMS’s management of the federal monitoring survey database that also affect the agency’s ability to effectively track understatement, we recommend that the Administrator of CMS take the following actions:
To address weaknesses that affect CMS’s ability to oversee regional office implementation of the federal monitoring survey program, we recommend that the Administrator of CMS take the following two actions:
While these recommendations would improve the processing and analytical side of surveys, it does not address the root of the problem. The root problem is that Monitoring surveys are skewed to a point where they are not getting an accurate reflection of the care given in nursing homes. The way these surveys are currently done, gives the nursing homes advanced knowledge on inspections. It is universally acknowledged that if a person, business, or corporation is given notice prior to inspections, the survey will be skewed. The survey will not reflect day to day actives of the nursing home’s care, but instead show a higher level of care created by the institution to pass inspection. Without changing the manor in which the surveys and inspections are conducted, by creating a more spontaneous environment, changing the processing and analytical side of the surveys will do little to improve the reliability and accuracy of the surveys.
