• Del.icio.us Links

    links for 2010-12-27

    • So long 100-watt incandescent light bulbs — California is ordering them off store shelves starting Jan. 1 in an energy-saving move.
      For now at the Home Depot in Redding, Calif., the bright orange shelves carry a wide selection of light bulbs. Compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen and light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs — the energy-efficient choices — dominate the aisle, but some incandescent light bulbs still linger.
      On Jan. 1, the 100-watt incandescent light bulb will start to be phased out in California. By the beginning of 2012, they will be gone from store shelves.
      Three years ago, the federal Energy Independence and Security Act was enacted to phase out the incandescent light bulb by 2014. Australia, Ireland and Cuba have banned the bulb while many other countries are phasing them out

      +++++++

      More Big Government telling us what is good for us..

    • The Obama administration confirmed on Monday afternoon that the president, in a call with the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, expressed gratitude for the team's decision to give a second chance to quarterback Michael Vick.

      But the nexus of the call, spokesman Bill Burton told The Huffington Post, was on the team's plans to use alternative energy sources at their stadium. And while the president was thankful that Vick was given a career do-over, he still thought that the actions committed by the QB — the orchestration of an illegal dog-fighting ring, the killing of animals and the deceiving of investigators looking into the matter — were condemnable.

      ++++++

      Another Gaffe: And, then the triangulation

      Good Grief.

      (tags: barack_obama)
    • Now that Bristol Palin has left Alaska for Arizona, where she has just purchased a $172.000 five-bedroom home for cash, friends of the family are asking how much longer momma Sarah will call the great state home?

      "Sarah has been looking at homes in Arizona, too," an insider tells me. "She wants to be close to her daughter and only grandchild."

      Bristol was working as a receptionist in a doctor's office before her mother ran for vice President and Bristol was cast on 'Dancing With The Stars.' Now they have both made so much money they can live anywhere they want to.

      +++++++

      Doubtful…..but why not have a winter home in Arizona?

      (tags: sarah_palin)
    • TPM reports congressional Republicans plan to use an obscure authority provided by a 1996 law called the Congressional Review Act to evaluate executive branch regulations.

      "House Republicans will have carte blanche next year, and will be able to pass as many of these 'resolutions of disapproval' as they want. The key is that a small minority in the Senate can force votes on them as well, and they require only simple-majority support to pass. If they can find four conservative Democrats to vote with them on these resolutions, they can force Obama to serially veto politically potent measures to block unpopular regulations, and create a chilling effect on the federal agencies charged with writing them."

      Said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): "I think that's one of many tactics that will be used."

      ++++++

      the GOP will force Obama to make very unpopular vetoes – setting him up for defeat in 2012

    • The intuitive argument is that Congressional redistricting will benefit Republicans, since it will shift the allocation of representatives into G.O.P.-friendly states.

      The counterintuitive argument, which some very smart people are making, is that this isn’t necessarily the case. Instead, the argument goes, redistricting will help the Democrats in some cases because of the creation of new majority-minority districts, which will be required in some states according to most interpretations of the Voting Rights Act. In Texas, for instance, which is subject to the Voting Rights Act’s preclearance process, as many as three of the state’s four new districts could be Hispanic-majority ones, according to former Representative Martin Frost.

      Time for the counter-counterintuitive argument.

      ++++++
      Read it all.

      Advantage GOP despite the arguments contrary

      (tags: GOP Hispanics)
    • Hispanic Leaders for Saul, a group of leaders who are proud Americans, proud Republicans, and proud of their Hispanic heritage, realize that the Republican Party needs a Chairman who can not only provide visionary leadership and strong day-to-day management, but who will also strengthen relationships with the Hispanic community. 

      ++++++

      Not necessarily a reason to vote for Saul Anuzis

      (tags: saul_anuzis)
  • Census,  Election 2012

    President 2012: The First Map of Battleground States Updated

    election2010map Presidential Election 2012: The First 2012 Map of Battleground States
    Back in November, I posted a first map of 2012 Presidential battleground states. Of course, this was before the census and a concomitant reapportionment.

    Republican-leaning states will gain at least a half dozen House seats thanks to the 2010 census, which found the nations population growing more slowly than in past decades but still shifting to the South and West.

    The Census Bureau announced Tuesday that the nation’s population on April 1 was 308,745,538, up from 281.4 million a decade ago. The growth rate for the past decade was 9.7 percent, the lowest since the Great Depression. The nation’s population grew by 13.2 percent from 1990 to 2000.

    Michigan was the only state to lose population during the past decade. Nevada, with a 35 percent increase, was the fastest-growing state.

    The new numbers are a boon for Republicans, with Texas leading the way among GOP-leaning states that will gain House seats, mostly at the Rust Belts expense. Following each once-a-decade census, the nation must reapportion the House’s 435 districts to make them roughly equal in population, with each state getting at least one seat.

    That triggers an often contentious and partisan process in many states, which will draw new congressional district lines that can help or hurt either party.

    In all, the census figures show a shift affecting 18 states taking effect when the 113th Congress takes office in 2013.

    Texas will gain four new House seats, and Florida will gain two. Gaining one each are Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington.

    Now, we have some additional polling/party identification information which should also give us a clue as to the identity of 2012 Presidential KEY battleground states:

    Watching the party identification polling will give us the trend toward or away from the incumbent Democratic President. Remembering Obama/Biden won 365 electoral votes Vs. McCain/Palin 173.

    Looking at the states that lost Electoral Votes:

    7hcefomukkzriiembmfzw95 2012 GOP Bonanza: All 10 States Losing Congressional Seats Tilt Democratic

    And, the states that gained Electoral Votes:

    ml1evzsnyusz6txglpmfia9 2012 GOP Bonanza: All 10 States Losing Congressional Seats Tilt Democratic

    Before, I identified the key battleground states (pre-census release):

    • Ohio – 20 (electoral votes): -2 after reapportionment
    • Virginia – 13
    • Colorado – 9
    • Florida -27: +2 after reapportionment
    • Nevada – 5: +1 after reapportionment
    • Wisconsin -10
    • New Hampshire – 4
    • Indiana – 11
    • North Carolina – 15

    And, I think, at least for now, pending any dramatic change in party identification I will stay with these states.

    The question for the GOP will be: Who will be the best candidate in these nine states to match up against President Barack Obama?

  • Census,  GOP

    2012 GOP Bonanza: All 10 States Losing Congressional Seats Tilt Democratic



    And, 5 of the 8 states picking up congressional seats tilt to the GOP.

    Plus, with the Republicans winning or holding 29 Governorships, the perfect storm for controlling the Congress over the decade is almost complete.

    The full political implications of congressional seat losses in 10 Democratic states remain to be seen, and will in large part depend on the process of redistricting that will now get underway in each state. It is assumed that Democrats will lose some representation in the House as a net result of this process, but the precise way this will play out is not entirely clear. Similarly, although the majority of the states gaining seats are Republican in orientation, it is not clear whether the newly created House districts in each of those states will necessarily end up with a Republican representative, although it can be assumed that the net number of Republican seats in these states will increase.

    The impact of reapportionment on the presidential election process is more straightforward. Traditionally blue states are losing electoral votes, while traditionally red states are gaining them. Various calculations have shown that Barack Obama would still have won the 2008 election even if the electoral votes were divided based on the new census apportionment. But the shift in population between states could give a Republican candidate just enough of an edge to bring victory in a close 2012 presidential race.

    But, let’s see if the GOP can hold its majority. They have blown it before – remember 2006?

  • Dentistry

    Announcing edgeDMS for iPad, Native Touch-Based Clinical Charting Software for the Paperless Dental Office

    Edge Health Solutions, Inc. introduces edgeDMS for iPad, a touch based dental charting application designed exclusively for the innovative iPad from Apple, Inc. for use with edgeDMS available from Edge EHR Corp. www.edgeehr.com

    From the press release:

    Edge EHR Corp., EDGE, a provider of Dental  Practice Management solutions for the Mac OS®, is pleased to announce the release of edgeDMS™ for iPad® for Dentists and Dental offices looking to leverage the awesome power of the Apple® iPad.

    The launch of edgeDMS for iPad sets a new standard for dental practice management with the most elegant and intuitive dental charting solution available today.  The edgeDMS Perio chart quickly captures pocket & recession depths, tooth mobility, and furcation values with a few taps.  Extracted, impacted, and erupted states are recorded with a swipe.  “Native is best!  Competitors using VNC (Virtual Network Computing) or browser based applications to bring iPad functionality to the practice just don’t understand the power of the Apple iPad’s iOS touch capabilities,” said Edge CEO, Troy Spracklin, referring to the multi-touch workflows available in edgeDMS for iPad. 

    Dental professionals can quickly search for patient records, access patient histories and chart new exams with a series of taps and swipes on the their iPad.  “It’s iPad easy!  Tap a patient, review the history and chart a new exam with your fingertip — no more pencils,” said Spracklin.

    “I’ve been an edgeDMS user in my dental practice for several years. It has worked seamlessly for my needs, and with the introduction of version 2.5 with an iPad App I couldn’t be more excited to perform routine evaluations and updates on my periodontal patients. Edge has created a new gold standard in all dental management software, let alone Mac based systems. Edge with iPad will be working to enhance my periodontal practice in expected Apple style,” says existing edgeDMS user, Dr. Stephen Chermol, DMD, PC from West Chester, PA.

    Exam details including observations, etiology, diagnosis and patient recommendations are also quickly recorded on each patient visit using the iPad with or without a bluetooth keyboard. In addition, edgeDMS for iPad also features an integrated picture and digital X-ray browser allowing providers to add, review and share intra-oral images, photos and digital x-rays with their patients at chair-side.  edgeDMS running on a Mac desktop makes it simple to view any patient record in the office or on the go through a secure VPN tunnel for providers seeking mobile empowerment  where no patient data resides on the iPad device.  Add in iPad’s remote data wipe features and security is covered.

    The future is today and should further reduce the costs of record keeping and managment.

  • Mike Huckabee,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Sarah Palin

    Poll Watch: Mit Romney Crashing and Burning in Florida and North Carolina

    Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney

    I think so.

    When PPP first polled Florida Republicans in March about who they wanted as their 2012 nominee 52% of them picked Mitt Romney when given the choices of him, Mike Huckabee (who got 21%), and Sarah Palin (who received 18%).

    When PPP next asked Florida Republicans about 2012 in July Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul’s names were added into the mix and although Romney maintained the lead it wasn’t nearly as strong. He was at 31%, followed by Palin and Gingrich at 23%, Huckabee at 15%, and Paul at 6%.

    When PPP asked about it in late October even more names were in the pool and Romney’s support declined even further. He was down to 28% with Palin at 22%, Huckabee and Gingrich at 15%, and a variety of other Republicans combining for 8%.

    Now Romney’s lead in Florida is completely gone. The poll we did last week found him at only 21%, behind Huckabee’s 23%, with Gingrich at 18%, Palin at 13%, and others combining for a total of 15%.

    Why? Mitt Romney is no longer the conservative alternative to Sarah Palin. With Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich in the race, Mitt comes off as the least conservative of the three.

    In North Carolina, Romney does not come off very well either.

    In North Carolina we see a good old log jam with Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin tied at 21%, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney tied at 18%, and the rest of the Republicans combining for 12%. This is another state where Romney’s conservative problem rears its head. He has a strong advantage with moderates as 30% of them say he’s their top choice with none of the other Republicans rising above 15%. But he posts yet another fourth place finish with conservatives at only 14%, with Palin at 24%, Gingrich at 22%, and Huckabee at only 19%.

    Mitt Romney certainly will run for President in 2012. But, besides his popularity in New Hampshire he will fade when the South Carolina and Florida primary elections are held.

    It could very well be Mike Huckabee’s and/or Newt Gingrich’s year unless Mitch Daniels or John Thune can catch fire.

  • Mike Huckabee,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Sarah Palin

    President 2012 Florida Poll Watch: Huckabee 23% Vs. Romney 21% Vs. Gingrich 18% Vs. Palin 13% Vs. Paul 8%

    The latest from Democratic Pollster PPP.

    The race for president is similarly jumbled-up. Mike Huckabee barely edges Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, 23-21-18, with Sarah Palin at 13%, Ron Paul at 8%, Tim Pawlenty at 4%, Mitch Daniels at 2%, John Thune at 1%, and 10% undecided. Romney tops with moderates over Huckabee and Gingrich, 25-23-15, but they make up only a quarter of the votes. The 70% who call themselves conservative break down very similarly to the overall electorate.

    Interesting about Sarah Palin that William Kristol of the Weekly Standard is ponticifating that Palin will NOT run in 2012 but will support a candidate and continue to be a force in the GOP – but out of office for now.

    Again, I think Sarah could win the GOP nomination but struggle against President Obama in the fall general election. Unless, Obama’s polling is severely in the dumpster, Sarah will keep her powder dry, run for U.S. Senate from Alaska in 2014 or simply wait for political opportunities while racking in the media big bucks.

  • Jeb Bush

    FL-Sen Poll Watch: GOP Favors Jeb Bush to Face Dem Senator Bill Nelson

    Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush

    A good and wise choice.

    If Jeb Bush would let them, Florida’s GOP faithful would crown him their Senate nominee in 2012 without a contest.  When given an eight-candidate list of potential nominees, they give Bush almost three-quarters of the vote, and no one else gets more than 6%.Unfortunately for the party, he is unlikely to run, and in his absence, almost a third of respondents are undecided.  In that case, their primary is likely to be a large and wide-open race, with the top four candidates bunched in the mid- to low teens.

    Bush is the preference of 72% of the hardest-core Republican voters in the Sunshine State.  The next closest option is outgoing Attorney General and Gubernatorial primary loser Bill McCollum at 6%, with George LeMieux, Connie Mack IV, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, and state Rep. Jennifer Carroll each at 3%, Mike Haridopolos at 1%, and Adam Hasner at less than 1%.  10% are either not sure or prefer someone else. 

    With Bush eliminated from the field, though, any one of the lesser options could win at this point.  A full 31% have no idea who they would support, and of the remaining voters, 15% choose Mack, 14% McCollum, 11% LeMieux, 10% Carroll, 9% Haridopolos, 7% Buchanan, and 3% Hasner.  Considering the margin of error, almost all of them are statistically tied for the lead.  Tuesday’s release showed that Haridopolos, Hasner, and even LeMieux and Mack are essentially unknowns statewide, and that is still the case with these most dedicated partisans who ought to know them best.  So all of these possible nominees have plenty of time to make a name for themselves and fill the Bushless void.

    But, alas, unless someone persuades him, it is unlikely Bush will run.

    Really a shame since Bush, despite his open-borders mentality would certainly be a better Senator than Democrat Bill Nelson.

  • Michael Steele,  Reince Priebus,  Republican National Committee,  Sarah Palin

    RNC Chairmanship Race: Reince Priebus the Front-Runner?

    Reince Priebus and Michael Steele

    Looks like it.

    Conversations with a number of strategists close to the RNC – and its 168 voting members – suggest that none of the six candidates in the running are anywhere close to securing the 85 votes needed to claim the chairmanship.

    But two tiers of candidates have begun to emerge, with the top three seen as potential winners and the bottom three regarded as longer shots. Given the number of undecided voters and the unpredictability of the ballot process, though, it’s hard to count anyone out at the moment.

    Chris Cilliza ranks the candidates.

    But, it is difficult to do an accurate whip count at this time.

    Now, if Sarah Palin weighs into this race who will she support?

    Michael Steele?

  • Obamacare

    ObamaCare Poll Watch: Support for Repeal at 60 Per Cent

    This will increase when Medicare rules go into effect and the physicans and hospitals start to bitch and moan.

    For the second time this month, 60% of Likely Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the national health care law, while the number who expect health care costs to increase is at its highest level since August.

    The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 49% Strongly Favor repeal of the plan. Thirty-eight percent (38%) oppose the law’s repeal, including 29% who Strongly Oppose repeal.

    Support for repeal has ranged from 50% to 63% in weekly tracking since the bill became law in late March. Last week, support for repeal was at 55%.

    But last week also marked the first time a majority of voters believe the measure is likely to be repealed.

    Fifty-five percent (55%) of voters now say the law will be bad for the country, the highest level measured since September. Thirty-six percent (36%) say the plan will be good for the country.

    Since late March, those who think the law will be bad for the country have ranged from a low of 48% to a high of 57%. Those who think it will be good for America have run from 33% to 41% in the same period.

    The GOP House will first hold hearings and the details of ObamaCare will sink public support. President Obama and the Democrats have played “hide the ball” with the American people with regards to their health care and I doubt this will play very well with voters, particularly Seniors.