*Uncategorized

Every Friday consumers in search of money-savings promotions visit WCIA's website.   Their Frugal Fridays promtotion provides visitors an option to purchase gift certificates at 1/2 price.    That means that you can buy a $50 worth of gift certificates for only $25!   Not a bad deal.   Or is it?

There are conditions:

1) There is an expiration date.   Even though state law requires that items of cash value cannot expire and must be redeemed by a business, this program gets around that by simply reminding customers that there is "no cash value".

2) It can't be used on multiple visits.    That means if I have a $50 in gift certificate and only spend $30, I'm not getting my full $50 worth.

3) No cash back for unused amount.   In the past example, if you only spend $30 and they don't give you $20 in change.   What a rip-off.

4) You an only use on certificate at a time.   So if you happened to purchase multiple $50 certificates and took several friends out for a dinner for $100, you would have to pay $50 when the waiter comes back to remind that you can only use one certificate at a time.

5) No alcohol.   So in the past two examples, your beer and wine would not be covered.

6) Tax not included.  

This program really makes your earn your 50% off.   I recently talked to a friend who feels that he got "ripped off" because he spent $14 and provided $20 worth of certificates.   He will never go back to the business because they did not give him $6 in change.   I explained to him that it still sounds fair because the conditions were clear and that he really only paid $10 for $14 worth of food.   Still a pretty good deal, I thought.   After researching the program for this post, I see that the businesses doesn't get any money at all because they pay with their product while the WCIA Frugal Friday program keeps all the money for promoting their business.  

Here's the question: is it appropriate to put so many conditions in place, or is it a scam?   One thing is for certain, it SOUNDS like a great deal.

When i first started IP about a year ago, this was a place where right-of-center thinking people could come and blog. A year later, those who are right-of-center have for the most part left. Why, IP has turned into ML. Any thoughtful discussion or critiques of candidates that he supports are getting censored and deleted. What is going on Gordy? Why have you suddenly flipped your lid?

NBC News is reporting Tim Russert died this afternoon at His office at the NBC Washington News bureau, Russert was 58.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am new at this and hope to spread my message for a sociey that does need to whine to get its way.  We live in a time were politcal correctness rules supreme over reason.  Reason ceases to exist.  Everyone concerns themselves with what everyone else is thinking when everyone else is thinking about what everyone else is.  The statement doesn't make sense, neither does the lack of reasoning behind it. 

Listen people we need to think freely for ourselves.  Do not let the media dictate your thoughts or what you believe in.  They will put the spin on the facts to benefit their main suitor, the Democratic Party.  Unfortunately no one believes that the two are in bed together, of course no one really paid attention Eliot Spitzer but crawled all over Larry Craig.  Wake up People!

In my personal opinion, Democrats are communists.  They want to socialize everything from the oil industry to health care.  Lets not piss off the ones who supply us with oil and try and sanction them.  By placing sanctions upon the oil companies as the Democrats and Republican wimps would want you to support, they would exponentially raise prices.  Action without reason. 

People have called me the next Rush Limbaugh or Boss Tweed.  I am a conservative, a conservative who believes that it is more than alright to disagree with the Republican Party because some are not true conservatives.  There are not many of us left, or right.  I will fight for the people's right to have less government, less business regulation, and an America that is realistic and free.  The reason one of my mentors called me Boss Tweed, arrises from my influence over my peers and their voting choices.  Its good to be educated.     

From the FDA website:

The Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak appears to be linked to consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes. The bacteria causing the illnesses are Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella.

The specific type and source of tomatoes are under investigation. However, preliminary data suggest that raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw round red tomatoes are the cause. At this time, consumers should limit their tomato consumption to tomatoes that have not been implicated in the outbreak. These include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and tomatoes grown at home.

I noticed on the news that Illinois was listed on the affected areas. Fortunately for me all my leftover tomatoes appear to be the "on-the-vine" variety that aren't included in the outbreak.

I'd wager the risk isn't that high, but probably best to especially watch out if you're older, have kids, or might otherwise be highly susceptible to such a bug.

Life imitates art?

Probably the last movie in the world I'd have figured would fit that cliche!

Hey, did anyone hear that CA now has joined Massachusetts in having their state Supreme Court legalize same-sex marriage from the bench? This is more reason why we need judges that know the difference between interpreting and making law.

Discuss!!!!

It was impossible to go back to sleep after the 5.2 earthquake shook the bed for at least 20 seconds. National news started reporting the moderate tremor immediately. But we shouldn't be too surprised by the seismic activity. Once the mighty Mississippi reversed direction because of a devastating earthquake.

UPDATE: 4.6 aftershock.

Diversity 101: Five Easy Steps to Liberal Sensitivity

By Alyssa Cordova

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Originally posted at townhall.com

Students in university-run leadership positions are often required to participate in some type of diversity training because simply being a just and logical person is no longer enough to lead a group of people. Instead, one must be immersed in every type of culture, background, and lifestyle the Office of Diversity Programs and Services can comprehend. The Resident Advisor preparation I was given at George Mason University recently was no exception, and I have broken down GMU diversity indoctrination into five easy steps so that you, too, can become the sensitive person the Left wants you to be.

Step #1: “Examine and come to terms with your own personal prejudices.”

The second step is the Left’s subliminal way of reminding you that those truly needing diversity training (whites, specifically males) are at fault for the plights of women and minorities. Embrace the fact that discrimination is your fault and do something about it.

George Mason University, like many public universities, is an affirmative action institution, meaning they discriminate on the basis of race and/or gender when accepting and rejecting applicants for admission. Although this obvious bigotry exists in the admissions process, I have an inkling this is not what the trainers meant when they ask you to “[address] discrimination you encounter on campus.”

Step #3: “Get involved in activities and events sponsored by different groups…[or] enroll in a semester-long cultural diversity course or workshop, or a course about a culture different from your own.”

In the third step, you must begin to immerse yourself into various cultures in order to grasp how truly difficult it is for such groups to exist in our society. You must delve deeply into the immersion process by formally educating yourself about diverse cultures. Unless you want to learn about white people, George Mason provides its students with a wide variety of programs, including: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; Black History Month; Safe zone training to become an “ally” to the members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Community; Hispanic Heritage Month; and American Indian Heritage Week. Participating in these events is the best way to truly experience the difficult lives of minorities. After all, nothing says oppression like a Pow-Wow!

Step #4: “Make a sincere effort to establish a meaningful relationship with a student of a different ethnic or cultural background or lifestyle.”

In the fourth step you are to personalize your newfound sensitivity by using discriminatory practices to find a culturally different “friend.” Long gone are the days of freely associating with people because you like them or have something in common with them. Now you must create bonds with people for the purpose of easing your guilt for the inherent bigotry you never knew you had. Once you have done this, you can breathe easy knowing you have taken a poor, friendless minority under your wing.

Step #5: “Learn to overcome the tendency to stereotype members of various groups, and instead, try to develop a sensitivity to their feelings and experiences.”

Step five can be rather difficult because, after four steps of forcing yourself to become aware of cultural differences, you are now expected to ignore all of that and pretend these differences do not exist. But don’t worry; you’ve reached the end of your journey of diversity ignorance recovery! You can now take the knowledge you have acquired and be a true advocate for these poor, underrepresented groups. Can’t you feel your heart bleeding already?

http://www.nationalreview.com/

I just read this on MSNBC www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23265613/  I would think the thing would just burn up on re-entry, including the toxic fuel.

All posts of mine have been replaced by "Deleted to boycott tolerating a blatant bigot who advocates executing homosexuals."

It's one thing to tolerate other points of view.  It's quite another to put up with someone who constantly advocates bigotry against and literally killing your friends.

If everyone else is happy with IP.com becoming an extension of "Godhatesfags.com" so be it.  My stomach can't take it.

-- UPDATE --

Apologies for overreacting.  Bigots boil my blood.  Part of my upbringing.  Will be restoring the old posts to repair the loss of content/context/etc. 

Why does this not surprise anyone???, http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7452044?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10637

Today is Veterans Day,  We thank all the Men and Women for the service to Our Country in war and in peace time. 

I don't normally post here, so I hope I'm doing this right. A few days ago, it came up in an Open Thread as to whether access to the birth control pill encouraged sexual activity in teenagers. So I went looking through the research to find out. I have posted a lengthly description of what I found over at my own blog, but since this started here, I thought it might be of interest to IP readers. Here's what I came up with:

• I couldn't find much that was limited specifically to the Pill, but the conclusions with respect to contraception in general are clear: access to contraception and to comprehensive sexual education does not hasten the entry into sexual activity. (Note, however, that the Pill is the most commonly used form of contraception.)
• In fact, access to comprehensive sexual education may delay the onset of sexual activity and increase the amount of sexually active teens using contraception and condoms.
• About one quarter of teenage couples remaining abstinent will be pregnant within a year.
• For about 10% of teenage girls, the entry into sexual activity is non-voluntary.

Update: I've posted a graph from the Zabin study, which seems to show the program delayed the onset of sexual activity by about a year, and at the median age of entry to sexual activity for the non-program group, 15% fewer teens in the program group were sexually active. The program included comprehensive sexual education and access to medical care and contraception.

I just received a text message from Gordy/IP announcing he and Mrs. Hulten are the proud parents of a baby boy!

5:45 am, 7 lbs. 7 oz., 18 inches

No name yet.

Congratulations to the new parents!

The Sam Adams Foundation is running a great program aimed at shining the light on citizen leaders' outstanding leadership and creativity.

The awards, dubbed “Sammies”, are made up a total cash pot of $35,000, and will be awarded to citizen leaders who are making effective change for more accountable and transparent government.

“We’re pleased to have this opportunity to recognize ‘Modern-Day Sam Adamses’ – the citizen leaders who are working hard to promote and defend liberty,” said Bob Costello, president of The Sam Adams Foundation. “We’re looking forward to learning more about local efforts and the creative ways people spread the word on important issues like government accountability and transparency.

“The Sammies” include awards for citizen campaigns, creative events, blogging, and videos. In my opinion, this is EXACTLY the kind of thing the conservative movement needs. I’ve seen countless activists and “modern-day Sam Adamses’” go under because of the enormous amount of work that goes in to this field of work, which most of the time goes unnoticed.

The contest categories include:

-Videos: Produce one short documentary-style OR one short satire about local or state government issues: $5,000 cash prizes for each.

-Best Local-Subject Blogger: Post regularly on a blog that covers local issues such as accountability, corruption, transparency, property rights, etc.: $5,000 cash prize.

-Tea Party Award: Make a public political point just like Sam Adams at the Boston Tea Party: $5,000 cash prize.

-Sunshine Award: Use open records laws to uncover government corruption and waste: $5,000 prize.

-Modern-Day Sam Adams: Lead a local political effort and achieve a victory for liberty: $10,000 cash prize.

All submissions are due by December 7, 2007, and the winners will be showcased at an event in Chicago on December 17, 2007, where they will be presented with golden colored Sam Adams bobbleheads, or “Sammies.”

Visit samadamsalliance.org/sammies for more information and an entry form.

So after getting official word that Parkland would be closed tomorrow, I posted a blog about it here to let people know. But I just got the new official word that the water issue has been resolved and Parkland will indeed be open tomorrow. So I hastily deleted the first entry, not wanting to leave a false headline up. And a blog titled "Parkland open tomorrow" would be, like, the ultimate un-news to anyone who hadn't seen my first entry. But then I got to thinking I should say something about the disappearing blog for those who had seen it...

Sorry. Think I'll leave the breaking news to the pros from here on out. :)

I'll be quiet now.

In the past quarter century, business models have been slowly replacing human service bureaucracies in such areas as health care and education. The argument, for many, is that free market forces and competition inevitably results in higher quality services and more efficient operations. However, others will argue that business models create more problems than solutions, and if left to spin out of control, these models result in two-tiered system that can leave those less fortunate without services.

It is indeed hard for many Americans to even formulate ideas outside the free market box, so embedded are our concepts of competition, freedom, winning-at-all-costs, and fear of vulnerability and failure. We talk of church-goers, library patrons and elementary school parents as “consumers”, we design power-point presentations with ample data to illustrate how we are failing to deliver quality product and we use fear as a tool to ensure efficiency and compliance to orders.

But, on the other hand, there is much to be learned from good business management. Innovative ideas, for example, often are born out of the drive for profit and measured success. Wasteful spending, time mismanagement, entrenched bureaucracy and patronage systems are consistently challenged by business practices which privilege the bottom line over everything else.

In the end, it seems that many mistakes, especially those mistakes that result in tragedy, could be avoided if only we could achieve some kind of middle-ground. Just as we shouldn’t let market forces alone determine what is best for a patient or a student or, for that matter, the environment, we should also not allow health care, education or the EPA to sink into large, unaccountable, bureaucratic messes.

It just so happens, however, that our nation is currently experiencing a large-scale “corporate” overhaul in many areas (not just education and health care, but also the media, for example). And this overhaul is resulting in some very unfortunate consequences that could be avoided if there were some checks and balances.

It seems to me only realistic to allow that there may be multiple solutions for any one problem. To believe that the free market alone can solve social problems is like believing that a hug will solve them. It will take hugs and common sense together, and the willingness of people from different points of views, to draft a plan together to create workable solutions for our country.            

I noticed that gopstrawpolls.com has dropped Ron Paul from the list of options and this has caused some outcry by Ron Paul supporters who feel the move is blatantly undemocratic. From their explanation:

My reason for excluding him was simple, there had been numerous reports of Paul supporters cheating on online straw polls, and I'm not one for tolerating such behavior. However, the May straw poll was unique in that it was launched after two primary debates which included Paul, and I felt that it was time to put him in and perhaps I even entertained the notion that after getting caught so many times that Paul's supporters would have cleaned up there act.

This turned out not to be the case.

There have been several blog posts written by others that go into some detail about the Paul Machine going to work on the latest straw poll. William Beutler over at BlogPI has a few posts on the subject, (Inside the Ron Paul Machine I: Slow But Steady Wins the Race?, Inside the Ron Paul Machine II: On the Assembly Line and Accept No Substitutes) and John Hawkins at Right Wing News has some insight as well.)

With a paranoia that only competes with that of the loony left, the Paul Machine quickly expressed frustration at Paul's initial poor showing of 4%+/- in the poll, charging that the poll was rigged. Some comforted themselves by writing off online polls as unscientific (which of course they are) and meaningless. Despite this initial attempt to comfort themselves, they brought their army together and slowly but surely inched Paul up the poll.

I'm all for giving credit where credit is due, and certainly the Paul Machine is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to organizing online, unfortunately, for people who claim that Paul is undoubtedly what this country needs, they've devoted their time, effort, and energy to artificially creating the appearance of mass support, instead of really trying to reach out to uncommitted primary voters and convince them to support Paul in a reasonable, civilized way.

...

Adding to the sinister nature of Paul's supporters efforts was the deliberate (and somewhat sophisticated) means by which they attempted to camouflage their efforts -- which we are well aware of. But in the end, what good are phony results? Isn't it more valuable to see what the true temperature of the American people or the conservative blogosphere is? Wouldn't Paul supporters rather know a more accurate reflection of Paul's support and use the data from the straw poll to assess how best to increase that support?

Granted they seem to fail to lay out specific ways Paul Supporters are supposedly cheating the system to skew on-line poll results, but given the nature of their polling website I can see how that would be absolutely against their best interests (let's show people how to cheat on our polls so we have this problem with everybody!). Problem is that without proof it isn't very convincing to Paul supporters. To others it isn't far fetched all considering that he polls in the <1% to 3% range on actual scientific polls and off the charts on on-line polls. The arguments that Paul supporters alone are almost entirely landline-less people based on anecdotals is pretty unconvincing as well. We'd have to believe that in spite of some huge ground swell of support for Paul that hardly any of his supporters have any money to donate to his campaign. Also unrealistic. Ron Paul is attempting to appeal to the most die hard paleo-conservative segment of society... a segment that rarely has any significant support from the electorate. As a third party philosophy it rarely even beats other third parties in spite having one of the strongest third party structures behind it (the LP). As someone who is regularly accused of being a traitor, a communist, a radical leftist, a neo-con, a fascist, etc etc deserving of everything from deportation to execution for not agreeing with their interpretation of the Constitution, I can't say I really want to help Ron Paul supporters get their candidate of choice. Given the skewed results of the internet polling versus scientific polling and the demeanor of many Paul supporters I honestly can't bring myself to oppose this move by gopstrawpolls.com. Perhaps if Ron Paul supporters want more acceptance by the Republican party and its members they should rein in their most outlandish supporters' behavior so that the people they are trying to appeal to aren't constantly hearing how they are treasonous filth that needs a bullet or a one way ticket to some authoritarian nation. Those kind of tactics don't help build support. They solidify opposition. In reality the skewed internet polling isn't helping Paul out at all in actual scientific polling and is not looking to help him gain any headway in the actual primary as he tends to max out around 3% on both first and second choice scientific polling. Paul can't even get the full support of that roughly 46-47% of Americans who absolutely swear they will not vote for Hillary Clinton when given just those two choices in match up polling. Paul's support in cyberspace has yet to materialize in the real world in any way shape or form. The desperate attempts by his supporters to equate the two is based on absolutely zero evidence.

In reality the Democrats have the best odds of winning against Paul than the GOP front runners.

Perhaps they'll prove us all wrong at the primary polls, but they have yet to provide any evidence that they even have a remote chance of doing so.

Month after month Paul has been polling towards the bottom and the latest polling hasn't shown any change:

For the seven days ending August 26, 2007, Rudy Giuliani earns 24% of the vote. Fred Thompson is second at 23% followed by Mitt Romney at 13%. John McCain now earns 12% support followed by Mike Huckabee at 5%. Four other candidate split 4% of the vote while 18% are undecided.

Those other four candidates, mentioned by name in the polling question, are Sam Brownback, Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo (review history of weekly results).

There is no well-hidden and unreachable segment of the electorate hiding in bunkers with internet connections just waiting to vote for Paul. Just a bunch of people on the internet who really wish that was the case in order to pretend their fossilized political philosophies are actually real-live dinosaurs that can walk the earth again. I see a movie deal in the making: "Jurassic Paul."