Hey, it may be grim out there, gas and food prices might be sky high, the housing collapse is bringing down Wall Street, but better not mess with Santa:
But despite -- and many argue because of -- the depressing litany of news on everything from foreclosures to wrangling over a whopping $700 billion bailout for Wall Street, there is one item retailers dare not cut from their holiday lineup even if they're looking to trim costs: Santa Claus.
The Louisville Courier-Journal's Lesley Stedman Weidenbener has some useful advice for political-debate watchers: Don't believe everything you hear:
It was near the beginning of last Tuesday's gubernatorial debate when Gov. Mitch Daniels started defending the cigarette tax increase he pushed through the General Assembly.
"Every penny went straight to insure uninsured Hoosiers in desperate need of health care and protection," he said.
Well, teachers, welcome to the damn club:
MUNCIE -- Like many Americans, teachers are running on a less than an optimal amount of sleep.
That lack of sleep could affect classroom teaching, according to a preliminary study by a Ball State University professor.
[. . .]
The Hoosier congressional delegation voted 6-3 against the number-picked-out-of-a-hat bailout:
With every news organization in the world writing about bailouts and meltdowns, I'm glad I still have my Newsweek to keep me up on the really important stuff:
Buckle up, boys, it's gonna be a bumpy ride:
Stocks on Wall Street took a blood bath Monday afternoon after the Treasury Department's proposed aid package for the financial sector failed to pass the House of Representatives.
Whe we can't get along without Snopes.com:
Studies have shown that people will believe anything that's repeated multiple times, which, in these days of mass e-mails, constitutes just about everything. It makes getting to the bottom of something a battle between our real desire for truth and the limits of our neurological makeup.
Why we can't get along without Snopes.com:
Studies have shown that people will believe anything that's repeated multiple times, which, in these days of mass e-mails, constitutes just about everything. It makes getting to the bottom of something a battle between our real desire for truth and the limits of our neurological makeup.
I don't believe this for a single instant:
As Congress prepares to vote on a proposed economic rescue plan, opposition to the measure has declined significantly. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey conducted Sunday found that 33% of Likely Voters now favor the plan while 32% are opposed and 35% are not sure.
I know I rail against federal government programs, but one I have a soft spot for is Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, perhaps because I heard my dad tell so many stories about being a member. It did good work by getting things done that needed doing, and it put some money in the pockets of people who didn't have any and showed them how to use it.
NBC's political blog, in noting the shift to Obama in recent polls, says Indiana is probably "the surprise of the cycle":
Awww, them mean old policemans is spoling the widdle kids' fun:
I confess to not having followed the attorney general's race closely, so I can't say much yet about how the candidates compare. The Republican is currently the chieft deputy of the office, so that would seem to make him more qualified than the Democrat. But I don't think much of this campaign tactic:
Heaven forbid we should tighten credit:
I will continue supporting efforts to pass legislation to restore credit flow to homeowners, businesses, farmers and all the people who, by the very nature of their businesses, need to borrow money to maintain their activity and keep employees," Lugar said Friday.
The chain-reaction accident in which two dump trucks hit a school bus, killing four special-needs children, apparently started all because of this slug:
According to The Cass County Sheriff office, the dump truck that hit the school bus swerved to miss a motor scooter ridden by Raymond Gust. Gust had slowed to turn into his driveway off U.S. 24, forcing the dump truck to try to avoid him.
The things they teach in school these days:
SOUTH BEND — Carmen Chandler, 19, didn't have a favorite in the presidential race before Friday night's televised debate between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama.
"Now I'm leaning toward Obama," she said afterward.
Chandler, an Indiana University South Bend student from Mishawaka, was disturbed by McCain's support for additional nuclear power plants. "I'm an environmentalist," she said.
Looks like McCain blinked:
Republican John McCain agreed to attend the first presidential debate tonight even though Congress doesn't have a bailout deal, reversing an earlier decision to delay the event until Washington had taken action to address the crisis.
I've always thought it would be a nightmare to live in a historic preservation district where you have to get permission from the governing board of busybodies before you even paint your house. And heaven forbid there should be an emergency:
Mankind's very survival depends on the future exploration of space, said NASA chief Michael Griffin in an interview with AFP marking the 50th anniversary of the US space agency.
This journey, said the veteran physicist and aerospace engineer, is full of unknowns and has only just begun.
