| Catharsis, Schmatharsis!
Faster Party-Switching? Maybe the polls showing an unprecedently rapid Dem gain in party I.D. are wrong, as Michael Barone suggests. Or maybe party I.D. is just one more thing that's moving faster these days. 12:09 A.M. Hot New House Polls: A new wave of 41 Majority Watch robo-polls** shows Dems leading outside the margin of error in 222 seats, leading by less in 18 more--for a likely Democratic gain of 19-39 seats. ... P.S.: See also Mystery Pollster's seemingly scientific "mashup" of the two most recent Majority Watch polls, revealing a continued, if small, Democratic gain for the month of October. ... P.P.S.: How does MP's calculation, which adds up voters in 30 contested House districts, differ from that Greenberg/Roper/NPR poll kf sniped at a couple of weeks ago? That's easy.
EU faces deadline on GM food ban
In November 2007, the World Trade Organization (WTO) gave the EU an extra two months to comply with its ruling. The United States, Argentina and Canada brought the case, arguing their farmers lost money because of GM bans, and may now call for WTO sanctions. The EU has difficulty complying with the ruling, chiefly because of a ban on GM products by Austria. The European Commission says it has imposed a regulatory framework but acknowledges there are problems enforcing it. 'Protectionism' In 1998, the EU introduced a moratorium on new biotech authorisations that lasted six years. The three countries behind the complaint to the WTO argued that the ban was about protectionism rather than science. There are continuing concerns in France about the safety of GM crops.
Eric Halvorson's Blog
Today, in our 5 o'clock newscast we offered some ideas for enjoying a "green" Christmas. In that case, the Natural Resources Defense Council offered ideas comparable to others I heard earlier in the day from the Sierra Club. A spokesman for the club says, between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, we generate an extra five million tons of garbage - and a lot of it is probably wrapping paper that can't be recycled. That's why the NRDC and the Sierra Club encourage alternatives to wrapping paper. For certain people, old maps would be a great idea. (My dad, for example, would probably enjoy the map as much as the gift inside it.) A member of the Sierra Club says you might try something like butcher paper and have kids draw something on the paper. Club members also suggest making the wrapping part of the gift - such as in a scarf or a decorative box that can be re-used in some way.
Courtesy El-Tamboura
A drummer, A DANCER, and a singer play traditional Egyptian music at a Jesuit center in Minya unlike anything Ive heard before. Having made the trip out here from the US possessed by a cliché yet genuinely felt identity crisis, I found myself in a nation doing some soul searching as well. Was this coincidental, or is this part of a larger pattern? And why is it that both musical and visual folklore are now being explored, revived, redeveloped and repackaged on an unprecedented scale? Is it a local fad inspired by foreign interest the way Sufism has become? When Im faced with the fact that some of the most popular music videos are taking on traditional Egyptian personas like the fellaha, aalma (folkloric belly dancer), and the Hind-Rostom-type seductress coffee shop waitress to go with songs like the flirtatious Umma Naeema (Mother Naeema) or Mashrabsh El Shay (Dont Drink Tea), Im convinced that the trend isnt simply another excuse to show more skin.
Ponderings from PapaBear
I see that there are already many great blogs posted on last nights BCS Title Game and another recap is not needed. However, I have a few final thoughts on this game and the Buckeye season. First, congratulations to Les Miles and his LSU Tigers. They were the dominate team on both sides of the ball for the final three quarters of this game and are deserving Champions. For the past month I was slowly able to convince myself that the Buckeyes had a shot at a victory in this game. In order for them to pull off the upset they would of had to play the perfect game. Their overall team effort was certainly better than the one the they put forth in last years game against Flordia, but perfect they were not. Turnovers and really stupid penalties kept this game from being close and the final result was much the same as last year...A sizeable loss.
Radio Talk
The station is mostly appealing to Clear Channel's now killed-off 105.3/The Buzz, but is still throwing in an occasional Guns 'n Roses or Aerosmith cut to appease former 96rockers. Question: is the name Project a good one? Is it the type of name that will last 32 years? Is it cool enough to appeal to the 18-34 male audience they appear to be seeking? And how about 94.9/The Bull, formerly Lite 94.9? Unlike Project, which is a unique name in the Clear Channel family of stations, the Bull is used at several Clear Channel country stations. The name, introduced in December, conveys masculinity and in-your-face attitude. But the station is supposed to be a female-skewing country music station, according to its execs. And with the addition of the Braves, does the station's name and message vibe with its music? It's obviously too early to say but do you think it works? Also, let's go back a couple of years to the introduction of rock station Dave, formerly Z93.
Ponderings from PapaBear
I see that there are already many great blogs posted on last nights BCS Title Game and another recap is not needed. However, I have a few final thoughts on this game and the Buckeye season. First, congratulations to Les Miles and his LSU Tigers. They were the dominate team on both sides of the ball for the final three quarters of this game and are deserving Champions. For the past month I was slowly able to convince myself that the Buckeyes had a shot at a victory in this game. In order for them to pull off the upset they would of had to play the perfect game. Their overall team effort was certainly better than the one the they put forth in last years game against Flordia, but perfect they were not. Turnovers and really stupid penalties kept this game from being close and the final result was much the same as last year...A sizeable loss.
Ponderings from PapaBear
I see that there are already many great blogs posted on last nights BCS Title Game and another recap is not needed. However, I have a few final thoughts on this game and the Buckeye season. First, congratulations to Les Miles and his LSU Tigers. They were the dominate team on both sides of the ball for the final three quarters of this game and are deserving Champions. For the past month I was slowly able to convince myself that the Buckeyes had a shot at a victory in this game. In order for them to pull off the upset they would of had to play the perfect game. Their overall team effort was certainly better than the one the they put forth in last years game against Flordia, but perfect they were not. Turnovers and really stupid penalties kept this game from being close and the final result was much the same as last year...A sizeable loss.
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