The Water Cooler is written by Washington Times staffers.
By Douglas Ernst — Published March 22, 2013 Comments
More than 30 years later after John Lennon was shot and killed in New York, President Obama used his official Twitter account to link the shooting to the ongoing gun-control debate by retweeting a photo of the blood-stained glasses Lennon wore when he died. The photo — originally the album art for Lennon widow Yoko Ono's "Season of Glass," released months after Lennon was shot by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman — was tweeted Wednesday by Miss Ono with the text, "Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980." Nearly 15,000 others have since retweeted the message, including Mr. Obama. Though retweets are not necessarily endorsements, the president nevertheless sent the message to more than 28 million followers amid his push for stricter gun control laws.
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 21, 2013 Comments
For those who can't stay awake as the politicians drone on and on, it's "Death Wish Coffee," which contains 780 mg of caffeine - about three times as much as the typical brew. It's organic, features Robusta coffee beans exclusively roasted very dark - and ground very fine, the maker says. The beans are priced at a rather intense $20 a pound. "You will not find this coffee at your local diner or at your sissy Starbucks," the New York-based company says, calling it "the world's strongest coffee," and offering the warning, "Try at your own risk." Fans say the brew is better than energy drinks. "This coffee is misnamed: instead of 'Death Wish' it should be called 'Resurrection.' It's brought my life back to life," wrote one avid convert. See it all here: deathwishcoffee.com
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 21, 2013 Comments
Yes, President Obama is following the NCAA tournament, for better or worse. "The president has his priorities. His White House closes tours while he continues to play golf and host lavish parties. He'll be two months late with his budget, but he got his NCAA basketball brackets in right on time," observes Bryan Preston, a Pajamas Media opinion writer. "The leader of the semifree world picks Indiana to win it all. Sadly, Obama's bracketology will end up helping him connect with some voters," Mr. Preston adds. Mr. Obama chose Florida, Indiana, Louisville and Ohio State to reach the Final Four. "I'm going with Louisville. I know it's not a surprise pick," the president told ESPN. "And I'm going with Indiana. These are the two best teams right now, and for the championship I'm going back to the Big Ten. I think this is Indiana's year." One South Carolina Republican has ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 20, 2013 Comments
Partisan divides on Israel continue to emerge. These numbers are from a CNN/ORC poll of 1,021 U.S. adults conducted March 15 to 17: 66 percent of Americans say Israel and Arab nations will not settle their differences and live in peace; 78 percent of Republicans, 74 percent of conservatives, 54 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of liberals agree. 49 percent of Americans overall say the U.S. should support Israel if it attacks Iran over nuclear weapon issues; 63 percent of Republicans, 62 percent of conservatives, 42 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of liberals agree. 46 percent overall consider Israel an ally of the U.S.; 63 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of conservatives, 33 percent of Democrats and 37 percent of liberals agree. 33 percent overall say Israel is "friendly but not an ally"; 18 percent of Republicans, 26 percent of conservatives, 39 percent of Democrats and 41 percent ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 19, 2013 Comments
C-SPAN first went on the air 34 years ago on Tuesday. And it is of note that viewers of roughly the same age are tuning in to a network where no-frills cameras are trained on lawmakers, policy wonks and pivotal election. Commentary and glitzy package is a minimum. And therein lies the appeal to the young and restless. The network offers "raw uncut coverage of their political heroes," says Hart Research pollster Allan Rivlin, who is tracking the growing audience. Among the 47 million regular C-SPAN viewers, he found that 51 percent are male and 49 percent female; 26 percent are liberal, 31 percent conservative, and 39 percent moderate. Almost half are college graduates. Viewership is highest, however, among the 18-to-49-year-olds, with 28 percent reporting having watched at least once a week, compared with 19 percent for 50- to 64-year-olds. Twenty-two percent are above age 65. "This growth in C-SPAN ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 19, 2013 Comments
We've got chubby canines. More than half of all American dogs - 53 percent - are overweight, says a new veterinary survey. That's about 37 million plump pooches waddling around the nation. But some are plumper than others. "Certain breeds showed greater risk for excess weight. Veterinary healthcare providers classified 58.9 percent of Labrador retrievers and 62.7 percent of golden retrievers surveyed as overweight or obese," the research notes. The slimmest? That would be German Shepherds, at 2 percent. "In this survey, approximately 45 percent of cat and dog owners assessed their pet as having a normal body weight," says Ernie Ward, a veterinarian who gathered the data from vet's offices in 36 states on behalf of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. "Many pet owners are shocked when their veterinarian informs them their pet needs to lose weight. They just don't see it," he says, noting that obesity is ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 18, 2013 Comments
Hey, the Satan character looks like President Obama. Yes, that's what many viewers decided Sunday night during the airing of "The Bible," the epic, blockbuster miniseries that covers both Old and New Testaments. Giddy press coverage followed, with comparative pictures of the character in question, and Mr. Obama. Needless to say, social media ran amok with speculation. But it just is not so, the network says. "HISTORY channel has the highest respect for President Obama. The series was produced with an international and diverse cast of respected actors. It's unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. HISTORY's 'The Bible' is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history," the channel said in a statement on Monday. "This is utter nonsense. The actor who played Satan, Mehdi Ouzaani, is a highly acclaimed Moroccan actor. He has previously played parts in several Biblical epics - including Satanic characters long ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 17, 2013 Comments
The fact that 227 Republicans recently voted to deny an increase to the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016 has vexed Ralph Nader plenty. "The Republicans in the House should be ashamed of how they have abandoned the interests of their constituents and of the 30 million Americans who are making less today, inflation adjusted, than they did in 1968," he says. "Had the minimum wage kept pace with inflation since then, it would be $10.56 instead of $7.25 today." The outcome has also prompted the former presidential hopeful and long time environmental activist to do some math to make his point. "Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, made $12,400 per hour last year and his counterpart at Walmart, Mike Duke, has made $11,000 per hour," Mr. Nader observes. "When Republicans can cast a vote which says that those types of salaries are OK, but the lowest ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 15, 2013 Comments
"The American public has not yet come to a strongly shared judgment on the effects of the sequestration cuts," points out Frank Newport, director of the Gallup poll. New numbers reveal more than two thirds of the public say they simply don't know enough to tell whether the cuts are a good thing or a bad thing for themselves or their families. More than half can't judge the effect on the the nation. The problem: There's no real authority out there on sequestration. "Americans are likely basing their opinions of the cuts on what they hear, read, and see in the news and from friends and colleagues, as well as on their own experiences. Apparently, nothing in the information flow from any of these sources has been enough - to date - to move the public's opinions about the cuts in either direction," Mr. Newport observes. And the numbers: 69 ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 12, 2013 Comments
It's been a while since Sarah Palin wrote a book. The cultural plight of Christmas, however, has put the one time Republican vice presidential candidate into author mode. Mrs. Palin has forged a new deal with publisher HarperCollins to pen "A Happy Holiday IS a Merry Christmas," scheduled for November release. "Palin defends one of the most sacred holidays of the Christian faith against the politically correct elite who have hijacked the season," the publisher says, referring to the book as "a call to action." The author will define the case for "holding traditional Christmas dear to our hearts and for bringing back the freedom to express the Christian values of the season." Mrs. Palin intends to keep references to Jesus Christ in public displays, school concerts or other events. She will also take on the "over-commercialization and homogenization of Christmas in today's society," the publisher says. "Amidst the fragility ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 12, 2013 Comments
Palmetto State politics continue to be complex. Boisterous rivals like Teddy Turner and former Gov. Mark Sanford vie to fill the shoes of Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the former representative appointed to his current office after Jim DeMint left to become president of the Heritage Foundation. Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham has a pair of unexpected challengers as 2014 looms in the distance. First, there is Bruce Carroll, co-founder of GOProud, the gay Republican group barred from the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference at week's end. The 4-year-old organization has allies among those who insist the party needs help against Democrats from all sectors, gay or otherwise. Mr. Carroll has resigned his post and likely intends to run against Mr. Graham. "In the spirit of transparency and honesty, I informed my fellow GOProud board members that I could not dedicate the time to the organization while I seriously considered ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 11, 2013 Comments
ANALYSIS/OPINION The global media is in place to bear witness and offer chatty analysis, the debate and discussions are done just 24 hours before Catholic cardinals begin their conclave and select the next pontiff. Analysts have declared that their likely choice is a hard-nosed manager versus an inspiring man of faith. But maybe what they need is a savvy American in touch with faith issues, tricky politics and the 24/7 media marketplace, say some. "An American pope may be an idea whose time has finally come," says Forbes contributor Thomas Basile, who points out that the U.S. remains a charitable mother lode of benefit to the church; American Catholics contributed $70 million to the Holy See in 2011. Mr. Basile also reasons that a forward-thinking U.S. pontiff could be a fundraising dynamo on his own, and be quite at home under the microscope of endless social media and press coverage. ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 8, 2013 Comments
While the citizenry prepares to spring forward once again in the name of Daylight Savings Time, a pollster warns that the time change could create a "sleep starved society of epidemic proportions." Meanwhile, more than 7,000 people have already signed a White House petition in the last 48 hours that seeks to do away with the practice: "We petition the Obama administration to eliminate the bi-annual time change caused by Daylight Savings Time. Daylight Savings Time is an archaic practice in our modern society. The original reasons for the policies are no longer applicable, and the most cited reason for keeping DST (energy savings has never been shown to be true. Some industries still like DST (like sporting equipment retailers), but there are many more who dislike the changed hours (like television). The real issue, however is not the later hours or extra sunlight. Studies have shown that changing the ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 7, 2013 Comments
President Obama may not know what comes after a trillion, but college basketball fans need to be familiar with quintillion. It has 18 zeroes following its primary number. March Madness looms, along with the call of the traditional workplace guessing game and the culture that accompanies it. Fans hoping to nail the perfect NCAA bracket of college basketball championship matchups have a long road in front of them, according to the mathmatically inclined who suggest that eager speculators should consider the odds "weighing against perfection." So says Jeff Bergen, a mathematics professor at DePaul University in Chicago and a lifelong collegiate basketball fan. He has figured out the odds. They are not so good. "The odds of picking a perfect bracket are less than one-in-9.2 quintillion," the good professor declares. "For those with a solid knowledge of the history of the NCAA tournaments, the odds of picking a perfect bracket ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 7, 2013 Comments
Short, but liberal. Those Tweets may be only 140 characters long, but they can lean to the left just as effectively as long form stories from the fanciest of mainstream media. Liberal bias has invaded Twitter. A yearlong, software-aided study of millions and millions of tweets during the 2012 election by the Pew Research Center reveals that "in some instances, the Twitter reaction was more pro-Democratic or liberal than the balance of public opinion." Such events as news of President Obama's re-election predictably sparked happy tweets. They are good tools for serious agenda, and there is a near endless supply. The miniature missives are also quoted just as seriously as exclusives from political heavy hitters or analysts. "While polls showed that most voters said Mitt Romney gave the better performance in the first presidential debate, Twitter reaction was much more critical of Romney, according to an analysis of social media ...
