| The Richardson File: The Santa Fe New Mexican follows the governor's ...
In recent months, Gov. Bill Richardson has staked out the most dovish position on the Iraq war of all Democratic presidential candidates this side of Dennis Kucinich. "Leave no troops behind," Richardson says. Withdraw all troops within a year, leaving no residual troops in the country. In stump speeches, debate appearances and campaign ads, Richardson repeatedly points out that none of the front-runners are calling for complete withdrawal. But he didn’t always feel that way about the war. As recently as November 2005, when his autobiography, Between Worlds, was published, Richardson supported the war. He criticized the administration’s handling of the occupation following the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s government, but said, "At this point, however, we must see this mission through.
Dial "P" for "Pander"
3:35 A.M.--The Trouble with Dials: Despite lots of dismissive punditry--It's a cliche! Badly executed! And look at Obama's swift response!--Hillary's "3 AM" ad appears to have worked. Intriguingly, the ad also worked despite performing poorly in the MediaCurves.com sample of 554 Democrats hooked up to reaction meters (on which they registered their agreement or disagreement). Which seems to demonstrate a problem I've always had with Frank Luntz-style "dial" groups: The meters measure the voter's visceral reaction to whatever the candidate is saying. If the voter hates abortion, and Candidate A attacks abortion, the meter goes up. If the voter is pro-choice, the meter goes down. What the meter doesn't capture is actual rumination--even fleeting doubts or flashes of confidence.
UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News
AUSTIN, Minn., Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Spam doesn't just mean the canned pork product, but also has an Internet usage, U.S. trademark guardians say.
Hormel Foods Corp. in Austin, Minn., sued Seattle software-maker Spam Arrest to try to stop it from using the capitalized word "Spam" as a trademark name. But the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled against Hormel, saying people won't confuse software that blocks unwanted e-mails with the iconic canned meat that's been around for 70 years, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis reported Thursday.
Spam Arrest attorney Derek Newman says the ruling clears the way for other companies to use the word in trademarked product names when battling Internet spam.
"Spam Arrest fought this battle for the whole software industry," Newman told the Star Tribune.
Review: 'B.C.' silly but great to look at
To see complete movie listings and show times, and to buy tickets for select theaters, go to sfgate.com/movies.) Say what you want about living 10,000 years before the birth of Jesus - the universal health care was pretty great. That assumption is based on the obviously superior dental coverage in "10,000 B.C.," which, despite taking place a full 11,905 years before the invention of novocaine, features entire tribes of men and women with teeth so white and straight they could be selling real estate in Walnut Creek. Yes, that was a cheap shot, but see if you're not taking a few yourself after sitting through "10,000 B.C.," a film that somehow makes the beginning of the Mesolithic period look as dreamy and romantic as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's voyage on the Titanic.
Mike Luckovich
If you are an American and love your country, you have to read the story to find out this is the first time Michelle Obama has felt pride in her country, ever. But if you are a pinko, you are probably thinking what do you mean she's "proud of her country," and then you see that she "clarified her remarks" and for a lib that means she still hates America for the most part, the tinge of pride was accidental, it won't happen again. The libs are trashing a war hero???? {{{{Mr. McCain promised, for example, never to fly directly from Washington to Phoenix, his hometown, to avoid the impression of self-interest because he sponsored a law that opened the route nearly a decade ago. But like other lawmakers, he often flew on the corporate jets of business executives seeking his support, including the media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Michael R.
Canucks fall to Avalanche in shootout
Colorado is one point back of the Canucks, who enjoy two games in hand. "I think we deserved better," said Canucks forward Alex Burrows, who made it 2-1 with 1:45 left in the third period. Burrows dove at the puck, pushing it over the goal-line during a frenzied scramble in front of sprawling Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore. Positioned behind the net, referee Brad Watson waved it off, and play continued for several seconds until a whistle permitted a video review, which overturned the call. "I was able to just poke it one," Burrows said. "I thought it was close to the line, and that is what I told our guys. "I didn't see it cross the line. The review showed that it was in." Burrows was credited with his ninth goal, but Sakic lifted his own rebound over Luongo to knot it 3-3 with just 15 seconds to go.
Russian bombers to test-fire missiles in Bay of Biscay
The moment the Chinese put one foot into Siberia, a region with low population density, Russia will come running to NATO for help. He should not play with fire. He needs to understand that waging war requires a strong economy and the Russian economy, at purchasing power parity, is lower than India and China's and only about the same as that of the UK. The days of Soviet glory are long past and he should grow up and co-operate with people, not try and push them around. Peter M, Bath, UK .
Auto industry suffering as sales continue to erode
Consumers continued to apply the brakes to purchasing new vehicles last month, adding to the pall hanging over the shrinking auto industry. Fallout from record-high energy prices has continued to hit sales of pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles particularly hard at both Ford and General Motors. .
Alpha Omega Jewelers
Consumers expect to spend up to $600,000 on such things as travel, luxury items, and second homes during retirement, according to a survey by the US division of Sun Life Financial Inc. in Wellesley. Headquartered in Canada, Sun Life provides a wide range of financial services, including retirement products. Titled "The Expense Reality," the survey reveals that while today's retirees are experiencing higher than anticipated expenses, they do not plan on reducing spending on desired activities. "Our research shows most boomers and current retirees know what opportunities they want to explore and what obligations are likely to arise, but do not have a realistic idea of the associated costs," Mary Fay, a Sun Life senior vice president, said in a statement."No one can predict precisely how much income they will need at any given stage in life, which is why retirement income solutions that are flexible and protect against unpredictable and unavoidable factors are so valuable." The report, the company said, is available at this link.
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