tuesday

the house of blues (video added)

The House of Blues, Los Angeles, September 26

the linkedin townhall

press on…..

it’s class warfare!

People Press: As the nation prepares for another round of deficit reduction debates, the public’s confidence in congressional leaders, particularly Republican leaders in Congress, has plummeted. Just 35% say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in Republican leaders in Congress to do the right thing when it comes to dealing with the federal budget deficit, down from 47% in May. Fully 62% say they have little or no confidence in the Republican leaders on this issue.

Public confidence in Barack Obama on the budget deficit, by comparison, has remained largely unchanged. The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that 52% express at least a fair amount of confidence in Obama to do the right thing when it comes to dealing with the deficit, virtually unchanged from 55% earlier in the year.

The drop in confidence in GOP congressional leaders is broad based, even occurring among Republicans themselves …… Democrats offer a more positive assessment of their leaders’ handling of the deficit than Republicans do of theirs. Fully 84% of Democrats have at least a fair amount of confidence in Obama to do the right thing regarding the deficit, and 75% are confident in Democratic leaders in Congress….

…. The survey also finds continued public support for raising the tax rate on high incomes as a way to reduce the federal budget deficit and the size of the national debt. Two-thirds (67%) approve of raising the tax rate on incomes over $250,000 as a means of reducing the national debt … Just 30% disapprove…

Full article here

;-)

Hiya people. If you’d like a higher-res version of this pic to print out either click here or click the image at the top of the right sidebar and it will take you to the bigger version (when I go to the link I have to click the image again to make it huuuUUUUuuuuge …. you might have to too).

next stop: san diego

President Obama boards Air Force One at Moffett Federal Airfield in California, September 26

President Obama is greeted by Rep. Bob Filner and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders upon his arrival at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego

supporting scientists

First lady Michelle Obama arrives in the East Room at the White House, Sept. 26, to speak at an event about supporting and retaining women and girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers

White House: Today is a good day for science and technology, a good day for scientists and engineers, and a good day for the nation ….. the National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing a major, 10-year initiative to provide greater work-related flexibility to women and men in research careers.

Among other advances, the NSF – the Nation’s major funder of research in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and other high-tech fields that will be central to U.S. economic growth in the years ahead – will allow researchers to delay or suspend their grants for up to one year in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or fulfill other family obligations.

That change and others being launched today at a White House event featuring First Lady Michelle Obama and NSF Director Subra Suresh aim to facilitate scientists’ reentry into their professions with minimal loss of momentum – especially women scientists, who, more often than not, are the ones who end up delaying or dropping their promising science careers because of competing family demands.

More here

wangari maathai 1940 – 2011

See here for a Guardian article on Wangari Maathai

August, 2006, in Nairobi, Kenya: Then Sen. Barack Obama, wife Michelle, daughters Sasha, Malia and other children help plant tree with 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai

President Barack Obama greets Kenyan professor Wangari Maathai in the doorway of the Oval Office, Oct. 5, 2009

start spreading the news…..

NY Daily News: New Yorkers aren’t thrilled with President Obama’s performance, but they still like him better than the two top Republican contenders for the White House, a new poll of New York voters found.

Obama maintained a 20 point lead over both Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, according to a statewide poll by the Siena College Research Institute.

Obama leads Texas Gov. Rick Perry 56%-33% among New York voters, little changed from last month. He leads Romney 56%-36%, also virtually unchanged from last month, the poll found.