Archive for August 21, 2011
Odd Observations From Below The Radar
Terry Branstad announced last week that he will push to make Iowa the healthiest state in the country. What’s the plan? Is it universal health care for Iowans? Is it subsidized annual check-ups? Of course not. Looks like the plan is for Branstad to tell Iowans to take a walk. Not a lot different than most Branstad plans. But somehow, I have a feeling that Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Iowa will make a few bucks on the deal.
Thanks to Jon Stewart of The Daily Show who watches cable news so I don’t have to. He pointed out last week that the media is disappearing Ron Paul. This is a technique the news channels use to make a candidate seem like they have no possibility of winning anything and so they are not covered. What little reporting there is of the victim in this scenario, highlights something bad such as the infamous ‘Dean Scream.’ (see Thom Hartmann here: videocafe.crooksandliars.com) Do you think the Paulites will scream “Foul?” Will the news media care? His only chance to run for president is as an independent. I encourage him to do so.
Looks like the next Republican hostage opportunity is October 1st. That is the day that the federal gas tax will no longer be in force as of right now. Want money for bridges? Surrender some unions!
Michelle Bachmann says she will bring the price of gas back down below $2/ gallon. The trick here is to rely on Americans ignorance of all things sciencey. How many could actually identify a gallon if they saw it? What if the gallon were made a little smaller? Say the new Bachmann gallon was about half the size of the current gallon?
I figure Rick Perry comes down on the creation side of the debate on how things got started. He surely has evolved little.
Speaking of Perry, after closer scrutiny, Standard & Poore’s has downgraded the ‘Texas Miracle’ to ‘Texas Overblown Propaganda Again.’ Shares are no longer worth even 2 cents worth anymore.
Even though the fair was in Des Moines, it looks like the biggest pile of BS was dumped on Ames again.
Bachmann paid 6,000 to vote for her and only 4,800 did so. I am not even sure how to interpret that one. Something sounds dishonest, but which part?
Chris Christie’s New Jersey government took a big hit by the ratings agency. They must have heard about the ride he took to his son’s baseball game in a brand new state helicopter, followed by the 100 yard limousine trip to the field itself. And the return trip so he could meet with Iowa muckety-mucks.
Christie is trying to bankrupt the public schools in New Jersey, so this will only happen as long as his son attends private schools that can still afford sports.
Tags: Bachmann, Branstad, Christie, humor, Paul, Perry | 
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Sunday Funday: State Fair History And Lore
Once again the state fair is upon us. Not only in Iowa, but across the country, citizens gather to see who has the best pies, the best homemade jams and who grows the biggest tomato. Can you answer some questions about the Iowa State Fair and maybe a couple about her neighbors?
1) The Iowa State Fair has been running a long time, but not always in Des Moines. Where was the State Fair originally held?
a) Cedar Rapids
b) Fairfield
c) Davenport
d) Newton
2) That old butter cow has been around a long time. 2011 marks what anniversary of the butter cow?
a) 100th
b) 50th
c) 75th
d) 90th
3) One stunt still talked about many years later is the staged collision of trains. The opposing trains were given names of well-known politicians of the day. Who were the trains named for?
a) Smith and Hoover
b) Bryan and Roosevelt
c) Roosevelt and Hoover
d) Truman and Dewey
4) Who created the very popular event at the State Fair known as the State Fair Talent Search?
a) Jim Zabel
b) Bill O’Reilly
c) Van Hardin
d) Bill Reilly
5) The State Fair took a couple years off due to what events?
a) the Depression of 1873 – 1879
b) World War I
c) The Depression of 1929 – 1935
d) World War II
6) Many historical artifacts can be found in what area of the fairgrounds?
a) the Cultural Center
b) Heritage Village
c) under the Grandstand
d) Grandfather’s Barn
7) Among our neighbors, which fair is well known for its world class cream puffs?
a) Minnesota
b) Wisconsin
c) Illinois
d) Missouri
8) One of our neighbors recently moved their fair from a larger city to a smaller city. Which state made that move?
a) Nebraska – moving the fair from Lincoln to Grand Island
b) Wisconsin – moving from Milwaukee to West Allis
c) Missouri – moving from St. Louis to Sedalia
d) Illinois – moving from Chicago to Springfield
9) Based on average daily attendance and paid attendance, which of our neighbors has largest fair in the country?
a) Wisconsin
b) Illinois
c) Missouri
d) Minnesota
10) We haven’t mentioned South Dakota yet. If you were going to the South Dakota State Fair, where would you go?
a) Sioux Falls
b) Pierre
c) Huron
d) Mitchell
Fried butter on a stick, that was a tough quiz wasn’t it boys and girls? I almost used the recent Michelle Bachmann versus the footlong corndog photo, but deferred.
Want some answers? Here you go.
1) b) The Iowa State Fair started in Fairfield in 1854
2) a) – yep the old butter cow is 100 years old this year
3) c) It was 1932 and the trains were Roosevelt and Hoover. And it is on youtube.com/
4) d) Bill Reilly (hope no one said b)
5) d) WWII – fairgrounds were used for storage and staging of troops.
6) b) Heritage Village of course.
7) b) drive to West Allis Wisconsin for the best cream puffs in the world
8) a) Nebraska moved their state fairgrounds to Grand Island from Lincoln in 2010 so the U of Nebraska could use the land in Lincoln
9) d) Minnesotans love their fair. Starts next week and ends on Labor Day or just before winter.
10) c) The South Dakota State Fair is in Huron. You job is to find Huron
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- Cownie Unconvincing
- Too Many Little Elections?
- Like Iowa, Like Armenia
- Who Can Vote?
- Schultz Vindicated: Voter Fraud Proven!
- Schultz Raises Dead Voter Scare Again
- Repubs Stage Crime at NH Polls
- Wondering About GOP Caucus Count
- Judge Fires Voting Machine Investigators
