Monthly Archives: November 2010

Nov
30

Playing in Canada’s sandbox

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "Oil Sands" by 4BlueEyes Pete Williamson on Flickr via Creative Commons.

Canada supplies about 20 percent of the U.S.’s total imported crude oil and refined products. Roughly half of what the U.S. imports from Canada originates in oil sands. Oil sands are viscous “deposits of bitumen in sands & clay.“

Influential Hollywood celebrities like Avatar director, James Cameron, are pushing for bitumen production in Canada and advising the U.S. to purchase crude oil from Canada rather than the Middle East. While this may sound like a good idea, a closer look reveals why the U.S. should play in its own “sandbox” before it starts singing O Canada. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Energy, National Security | Comments Off

Nov
23

Thanksgiving is not for royals

By Katie Kieffer
Britain's Prince William recently asked his long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton, to marry him. Image credit: AP Photo/Chris Ison/PA.

The 1621 Massachusetts Thanksgiving was modeled after fall harvest festivals that were popular in Europe, but don’t expect Prince William of Wales to carve a turkey this week. The Prince may believe in marriage, but he does not believe in Thanksgiving.

When Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, we express gratitude for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a country where the terms “commoners” and “ruling class” are meaningless. Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment & Culture | 2 Comments

Nov
18

Better than X-rayted ideas

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "366 62 Flying home" by Pragmagraphr on Flickr via Creative Commons.

If you are flying over the Thanksgiving holiday and are trying to decide between being ogled or groped by a TSA employee, I’d advise you to choose the latter option for two reasons.

First, scanners are not safe. Dr. Michael Love, the director of a John Hopkins X-ray lab, says: “They say the risk is minimal, but statistically someone is going to get skin cancer from these X-rays. … We know X-rays are hazardous but we have a situation at the airports where people are so eager to fly that they will risk their lives in this manner.” Second, there’s a chance that “X-rayted” pictures of you will wind up online, as tech magazine Gizmodo has shown possible. Continue reading →

Posted in National Security | Comments Off

Nov
16

Identifying FDA flu symptoms

By Katie Kieffer

"Equipment" by trp0 on Flickr via Creative Commons.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal government agency charged with “protecting and promoting public health.” Unfortunately, the FDA is beginning to look pale and weak with a virus I will refer to as “FDA flu.” You need to know the symptoms of “FDA flu” in order to protect your own health.

1.) Coughing up millions of wasteful dollars

The FDA is spending millions of dollars for outside consultants to hold “leadership” sessions in Maryland at the Civil War battlefield site of the Battle of Antietam. FDA employees learn ‘the perils of backing away from “tough decisions,” Leadership Performance Solutions Inc.’s president, Dr. Feldman, gushed to The Wall Street Journal. Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care | Comments Off

Nov
11

Rock Bernanke’s bloat

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "National Yacht Club" by vasta on Flickr via Creative Commons.

I haven’t talked about my little buddy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, since I told you how to mix a Bernanktini. But, last weekend, Bernanke invited me to his yacht party.

Ben was christening a yacht “QE2” in honor of his new $600 billion “quantitative easing” program. Bernanke asked me to give him some solid coverage of the ceremony on my blog. “No problem,” I said, with my fingers crossed behind my back. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy | Comments Off

Nov
09

Get the dealio on Four Loko

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "Drink colors!!!" by FL4Y on Flickr via Creative Commons.

If an under-age college student overdoses on vodka and is rushed to the emergency room, do we ban vodka from society? No, because we recognize that vodka was not the reason for the hospitalization – irresponsible behavior was. So, why is Washington state’s Atty. Gen. Rob McKenna trying to ban caffeinated alcoholic beverages from his state?

Why is Sen. John Tassoni Jr. (D-R.I.) pushing forward legislation to ban Four Loko from Rhode Island? The drink is already banned at the University of Rhode Island, so why does Sen. Tassoni want to push the entire state back to the Prohibition era? Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Entertainment & Culture, Law | 1 Comment

Nov
04

Time for a ‘Slurpee Summit’

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "7-11" by Adam Kuban via Creative Commons on Flickr.

Yesterday, President Obama said that he ‘might hold a “Slurpee Summit” with the new Republican leadership,’ according to USA Today. Slurpee‘s owner, 7-Eleven, has already offered to cater the Summit with red, blue and purple frozen drinks. I don’t know whether the President will follow through on his idea, but I would like to host my own Slurpee Summit with American voters. Let’s kick back with refreshing Slurpees and talk about what this election means for us.

If you voted in this election, congratulations. You had a say in who your elected officials are. Furthermore – whether or not you voted, if you are an American citizen – you currently possess an unprecedented level of influence over your elected officials.
Continue reading →

Posted in Free Speech | 1 Comment

Nov
02

Making your vote count

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "raise the torch" by Kymberly Janisch on Flickr via Creative Commons.

You want your vote to count. Here are some helpful tips to consider before heading to your polling place today.

1.) Ensure fraudulent voting doesn’t cancel your vote

Minnesota law requires convicted felons to refrain from voting until their civil rights are restored. However, felons still came out to vote in the 2008 general election. There were also verified cases of double voting in Minnesota. Fox News recently covered Minnesota’s efforts to prevent election fraud. You can learn more here and by watching this video: Continue reading →

Posted in Free Speech | Comments Off