The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.
Category: Current Events
Obama Speech TV Audience Lags Clinton (1993) and Bush (2001)
For his maiden congressional address, Obama cleaned President Bush’s clock in terms of TV viewers willing to watch him speak to a bunch of stuffed congressional suits in the House chamber. Which isn’t saying much. But it is something for a new president to cling to, especially when you’re otherwise up against the sleuths of “NCIS.”
Obama got 52.4 million viewers last night (rounded off for those visiting the bathroom) in 37.2 million homes for a 49 share and 32.5 rating. In his last joint address in 2008 GWB got 37.5 million in 27.7 million homes for a 38 share and 24.7 rating. Bush did top Obama in 2003 with 62 million and a 56 share and we didn’t even have the Iraq reality show going then. (But it was coming.)
Bush’s first joint session appearance drew nearly 39.8 million and a 42 share.
However, Obama still lags the audience-drawing power of one President Bill Clinton. Sixteen years ago this week, when there were millions fewer Americans, Big Bill drew nearly 15 million more viewers — 66.9 million for his first congressional speech in 44.2 million homes for a 44.3 rating.
Dakar Rally 2009 Photos
An Email to Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl
Dear [ ]:
I hope this message finds you well.
I am writing to express my great concern over this information. Please investigate and determine if it is true.
DoD Officials Vow Secrecy on Budget
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3957786
If so, this is very disappointing and wrong.
I also would like you to investigate the amount of private jet use by elected officials (both government aircraft and those provided by campaigns and lobbyists). Dilbert has it right:
http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/2009-02-25/
Website and contact information: Tammy Baldwin, Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl.
Barack Obama Tells Germany Not To Abandon Their Auto Industry
Robert Farago quoting President Obama:
“As for our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them from their own bad practices.
“But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.”
Recovery.gov is Web 1.0; Stimuluswatch.org is Web 2.0
President has signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes $7.2 billion for broadband access. You can see a brief summary of the bill here.
As we have seen, the Obama administration hopes to use the Internet for transparent, two-way communication with the public. To this end, they have launched the Recovery.gov Web site, which will be continuously updated, telling us “how, when and where” the recovery funds are spent.
As of today, Recovery.gov is definitely a Web 1.0 site — it summarizes the Recovery Act, requests comments using an email form, and asks us to check back frequently for data on spending. They don’t even have RSS feeds.
Contrast that with Stimuluswatch.org, a Web 2.0 site. Stimuluswatch began by importing a database of “shovel ready” projects that was posted by the US Conference of Mayors. Users can search the database by city, keyword and project type, and view the project descriptions and estimated cost and number of jobs created.
Just the Tip of the Iceberg…
The Peter Peterson Foundation. Video
Federal Government Contracts: Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District
Top 5 Contractors
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation $161,241,933
Didion Milling, Inc. $28,254,732
University of Wisconsin System $21,021,695
Facility Leaders In Architectural/Engineering Design, P.C. $20,405,886
Metastar Inc $19,600,777
Top 5 contractors: State of Wisconsin:
Top 5 Contractors
Oshkosh Corporation $1,481,203,487
General Electric Company $248,269,326
The Manitowoc Company Inc $178,329,866
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation $161,241,933
National Presto Industries, Inc. $125,773,563
BMW Art Cars on Parade
They won’t be racing but BMW’s famous Art Cars will be back on display. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art will feature four of BMW’s 16 art cars until Feb. 24.
Among the four are some of our favorites:
— Roy Lichtenstein’s 1977 Group 5 320i with its wild wing and body work.
— Frank Stella’s graph-paper 3.0 CSL.
— The 1979 Group 4 M1 that Andy Warhol painted with a brush.
All three cars raced at Le Mans with their new paint jobs.
Robert Rauschenberg’s 1986 6-series was not a race car and, with its more conventional bodywork, seems far more restrained than the rest.
