The Water Cooler is written by Washington Times staffers.
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 The original reasons for the policies are no longer applicable, and the most cited reason for keeping DST (energy savings has never been shown to be true.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 ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 6, 2013 Comments
There is already a bumper sticker out there that says "Barack 2012, Michelle 2016," spotted in the nation's capital in the last month. In that mindset, consider new numbers just released: a Harris Poll gauging first lady Michelle Obama's popular appeal among Americans, including a rating of her "job" performance and yes, a comparison with her hubby. The numbers: 71 percent of Americans say Michelle Obama was a positive factor in President Obama's re-election; 54 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of Democrats agree. 70 percent of Americans overall say Mrs. Obama has a positive influence on the president's decisions; 39 percent of Republicans and 95 percent of Democrats agree. 65 percent overall give Mrs. Obama a positive review on "the job she is doing as first lady"; 33 percent of Republicans and 88 percent of Democrats agree. 47 percent overall say she is "the best dressed first lady"; 24 ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 5, 2013 Comments
The Donald + CPAC. Yes, it's true. The American Conservative Union announced Wednesday that Donald Trump will address the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference when it fires up next week at a swank resort on the shores of the Potomac River. "Donald Trump is an American patriot and success story with a massive following among small government conservatives," says chairman Al Cardenas. "I look forward to welcoming him back to the CPAC stage next week. Mr. Trump's previous CPAC appearance was hugely popular among our attendees and we expect it will be even more popular this year." Mr. Trump joins a roster of high-profile speakers scheduled for the event March 14-16, including Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Sarah Palin and Gov. Rick Perry.
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 5, 2013 Comments
Are we talking media macaws here? The broadcast networks were only too happy to repeat and amplify the "dishonest, over-the-top fear-mongering perpetrated by the Obama administration" as the federal spending cuts eased into effect. So says the Media Research Center, which reviewed all 88 sequestration stories that ran on ABC, CBS and NBC during the two-week period between February 14 and March 1 - the day the dreaded cuts came alive - to find that 66 percent of the reports "advanced the most hysterical Obama administration talking points without any hint of skepticism." Yes, well. The analysis cited several examples. ABC World News reporter David Kerley, for example, likened the cuts to a "disaster movie." NBC "Today" correspondent Peter Alexander claimed the budget cuts would eliminate "meals for needy seniors" and deprive children of necessary vaccines. "There is a reason that public confidence in the news media is down to ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 4, 2013 Comments
Bristling with cameras and sensors, unmanned drones patrol borders and industrial pipelines here and abroad. They peek at troubled neighborhoods, wildlife areas and are now used in experimental news gathering projects by edgy journalists. They can be hefty aircraft, or out-of-the-box toys; some armed, most not. Drone videos are indeed popular online. But imagine this: You spot a drone from a law enforcement agency flying over your house taking videos or photos. Do you have the "right" to destroy it? Almost half of Americans - 47 percent - say why, yes, you do. Another 47 percent say no, leave that drone alone. So says a Reason/Rupe poll released Friday. The poll also found uncommon agreement among the political parties: 50 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of Democrats say citizens do not have the right to destroy the device under such circumstances. The American Civil Liberties Union, meanwhile, has already ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 4, 2013 Comments
"Two great competitions! You could win and expense paid week in Beijing and a chance at a $15,000 Grand Prize. Or you could see your short film produced. More than 100 great prizes in all. No entry fee. Don't miss out." And so begins China's determined foray into showbiz. On Monday, the Cultural Assets Office of the Beijing Municipal Government announced the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, "open to US-based contestants of all nationalities." The state-run office only wants material centered on Beijing, however, and cheerfully frames the competition as a "groundbreaking initiative," among other things. And content? Some things are not lost in the translation. Like fantasy. Among Western-made movies, "Avatar" was the top draw in China, earning $221 million, followed by "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," which pulled in $174 million. "This competition is one of the first established routes for U.S. filmmakers to obtain direct access to ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 4, 2013 Comments
House Speaker John A. Boehner has done the dizzying math: "In the nearly four years since Senate Democrats last passed a budget, government spending has driven our national debt up past $16 trillion. That's more than $52,000 for every man, woman, and child," he says. Mr. Boehner has suggestions on what people could do with an extra $52,000, based on exacting consumer costs gleaned from federal statistics, pollsters and other sources. One could buy an annual NFL season ticket - for the next 67 years, for example. The amount could also cover groceries every week for the next seven years, or home maintenance for the next quarter-century. The money could cover all car maintenance, gas and insurance for five years. On the practical side, the taxpayer could put a down payment on a house, pay down a mortgage, pay the rent for the next four years, pay off personal debts ...
by Douglas Ernst — Published March 1, 2013 Comments
President Obama placed blame for the failed "sequester" negotiations at the feet of Republicans on Friday — an assertion that didn't sit well with Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. In a statement provided by the Weekly Standard, Mr. Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, faults the White House's "astonishing elitism" for the imminent spending cuts, citing the president's recent golf outing with Tiger Woods as example of government waste and ineffectiveness: "They have no plan to make our government leaner and more efficient. The President had 18 months to develop reforms to improve the government, but instead he announced furloughs of federal workers as a political cudgel. Yet, his golf weekend at the yacht club with Tiger Woods cost taxpayers over a million dollars — enough money to save 341 federal workers from furlough … These workers know firsthand how much waste and inefficiency exists in the government. ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 1, 2013 Comments
On the first anniversary of Andrew Breitbart's unexpected death, those who remember the relentless online media pioneer and columnist announce they're seeking to honor journalists and bloggers who followed the Breitbart tenets of "freedom and truth." The man in question died suddenly on March 1 last year, felled on a Los Angeles sidewalk by a cardiac event at age 43, leaving a wife and four children behind - and a forward-thinking media empire. "Andrew Breitbart pioneered a new media revolution that transformed journalism and the political landscape. As we continue to mourn his tragic passing, we also seek to ensure that his legacy is honored and that the movement he spawned continues on with the army of citizen activists that he cultivated and inspired," say organizers at The Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. "We will honor an individual whose efforts advance the spirit of Andrew ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published March 1, 2013 Comments
It's the beginning of the month, and time for the White House to acknowledge the diversity of interests in America. Along with proclaiming Women's History Month, Read Across America Day, American Red Cross Month and the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks, President Obama has also recognized Irish-Americans. From Mr. Obama's official proclamation: "Generations of Irish left the land of their forebears to cast their fortunes with a young Republic. Escaping the blight of famine or the burden of circumstance, many found hardship even here. They endured prejudice and stinging ridicule. But through it all, these new citizens never gave up on one of our oldest ideas: that anyone from anywhere can write the next great chapter in the American story. So they raised families and built communities, earned a living and sent their kids to school. In time, what it meant to be Irish helped define what it means to ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published February 28, 2013 Comments
Even as the frail former pontiff exits the world stage, the "big three" broadcast networks have gone overboard with tacky coverage and liberal agenda, at Pope Benedict XVI's expense. And someone has counted the incidents, one by one. Since the Pope's resignation announcement on Feb. 11, ABC, NBC and CBS have characterized the Catholic Church as "troubled" 122 times and used the word "scandal" 87 times says a new study from the Media Research Center Coverage has also pushed for the church to be more liberal, calling for the church to 'modernize' 32 times, change its stance on women seven times and on gays 13 times, the study found. Then there was the funny stuff. "The resignation of the leader of 1.2 billion Catholics is the time for making jokes. The networks ran jokes from late night shows about the Pope seven times and even brought on comedian George Lopez ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published February 28, 2013 Comments
Rep. Keith Ellison warned he was "not backing down" to Sean Hannity during his aggressive exchange with the Fox News host on Tuesday evening. Now, a new and painstaking academic report finds that the Minnesota Democrat has received more time to speak his mind on Mr. Hannity's nightly show than during any of the congressman's other primetime appearances on the network. Among other things, Mr. Ellison told Mr. Hannity he was "immoral," "a broken record" and the "worst excuse for a journalist I've ever seen" on Tuesday. Though he was elected to Congress in 2006, the lawmaker waited more than four years before he appeared on Fox News, making nine appearances on the "O'Reilly Factor" and two on "Hannity," reports Eric Ostermeier, director of Smart Politics, a political research group and blog at the University of Minnesota. But ironically, Mr. Hannity gave him the most time to speak his mind. ...
by Jennifer Harper — Published February 28, 2013 Comments
More than 2 million viewers have watched an online video of Dr. Ben Carson's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast three weeks ago before an audience that included President Obama. The speech - a straightforward look at the moral and economic state of America - was meant to "please God," the physician has said in the aftermath. He also revealed that the White House requested an advance copy beforehand. But there was no copy to give. Dr. Carson did not use written text or Teleprompter in his delivery, only Biblical text. Dr. Carson will speak at CPAC in mid-March, and there are calls from the public, not to mention The Wall Street Journal, for the pediatric neurosurgeon to consider a run for president. Asked by ABC News if he'd comply, and the doctor simply replied, "That's not my intention, but I always say, I'll leave that to God." In the ...
