Carlos44ec - "Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else." 01/15/2009 @ 01:34:29 PM
So it wasn't for me? Dang, I got hosed!		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Sarah - 4605 Posts 01/15/2009 @ 07:01:48 PM
I'm so excited to say good bye to Bush. YAY!		Rate this comment Yours: Total: Rated 1 times.

	Scott - Get Up! Get outta here! Gone! 01/15/2009 @ 08:36:47 PM
I'm so happy I live in a country where political transitions are done peacefully.		Rate this comment Yours: Total: Rated 1 times.

	Matt - Ombudsman 01/16/2009 @ 02:31:40 AM
At the risk of sounding cynical, I'm going to have to say that this is just a bunch of crap. If he wants to tell his daughters why he ran for President, fine. If he wants to tell the American people the same thing, also fine. But writing an "open letter" to your daughters that is printed in the "most widely read" magazine in the country is just a lame PR stunt. If politicians and public figures are going to keep declaring that their children should be "off-limits" (something that I largely agree with), then they should at least refrain from using them in blatant acts of self-promotion.		Rate this comment Yours: Total: Rated 2 times.
Matt perfected this 2 times, last at 01/16/2009 5:57:40 am

	Carlos44ec - "Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else." 01/16/2009 @ 09:19:11 AM
But don't you feel warm and fuzzy? I mean really?		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - Super Chocolate Bear 01/16/2009 @ 10:00:08 AM
I'm not so sure there's any other way to take it, or if it was meant as anything but, a PR stunt.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy messed with this at 01/16/2009 10:00:26 am

	Carlos44ec - ...and Bob's your Uncle! 01/16/2009 @ 10:14:44 AM
Scott Wrote - Yesterday @ 08:36:47 PM I'm so happy I live in a country where political transitions are done peacefully. ...so far.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - Always thinking of, but never about, the children. 01/16/2009 @ 10:44:58 AM
Well, they aren't completely without incident. The protests at W Bush's inauguration where so heavy they had to call off part of it. In the big picture though, and I think this is what Scott is getting at, we don't need to stage coups to change leaders, and Bush can't just declare himself prime minister, and that the prime minister now has all the power. I mean even if Obama is assassinated at his inauguration that doesn't mean the transition itself wasn't peaceful. Unless it turns out it was Cheney. Long story short, there might be turbulence for the person coming in, which is mostly the citizens doing, but no body has to force, threaten, etc the former president to get him to give up his post. So I guess it depends on how you look at it.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy edited this 2 times, last at 01/16/2009 10:45:36 am

	Scott - 6225 Posts 01/16/2009 @ 10:56:09 AM
"Our process is peaceful" in that any protests come from citizens, not military actions or rebel uprisings.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Alex - Refactor Mercilessly 01/16/2009 @ 01:42:38 PM
Scott Wrote - Yesterday @ 08:36:47 PM I'm so happy I live in a country where political transitions are done peacefully. Good point, we should not take this for granted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090116/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy I like this part, "...a sweeping $825 billion House spending and tax-cut package...". No wonder the country is in debt.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/16/2009 @ 02:42:59 PM
Well, the problem isn't really that we go into debt during the bad times. That's when you're "supposed to" go into debt. (Obviously you'd ideally never go into debt, but if there's a time where it's ok, at least in the sense that it's somewhat inevitable, it's a recession.) The problem is that we did nothing to crawl out of debt during the "good" times. It's like if you lost your job and couldn't afford food/heat. Going into debt might be your last option, and not a "stupid" thing to do. Going into debt when you should have been able to live comfortably, as long as you didn't spend your money like a complete moron, is different.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy messed with this 2 times, last at 01/16/2009 2:46:11 pm

	Alex - 3619 Posts 01/16/2009 @ 05:36:56 PM
I guess my point was more that the plan is to have a massive spending spree, while also cutting taxes, which seems counter-productive to the bottom line. Doesn't it seem like it would be better to do one or the other, at least when factoring in that we are already way in debt?		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Carlos44ec - A Vote for me is a Vote against Terrorism! ...or atleast just wasted. 01/19/2009 @ 12:39:00 PM
Jeremy Wrote - 01/16/2009 @ 02:42:59 PM ...as long as you didn't spend your money like a complete moron... This is the key, and 98% of us don't know how to NOT be morons.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Scott - 6225 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 11:52:44 AM
Welcome, President Obama!		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 12:34:22 PM
I can't find any answer one way or another, but I wonder if there was technically a brief period of time where Bush was president and Biden was VP. If as soon as Biden was done taking his oath Obama was assassinated who would be the president? At what moment is Bush officially "not president?" It's not like there's an expiration date, so there must be something that determines it. This might provide some clues, and is an interesting read, but there's no hard and fast answer there. http://www.snopes.com/history/american/atchison.asp		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Carlos44ec - 2079 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 12:59:04 PM
I think the oath is significant. Remember that LBJ wasn't technically the Pres until he took the oath of office on the plane.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 01:10:56 PM
Actually I missed it in that Snopes article. As of noon Bush was not president and Obama was. There was indeed an "expiration" time added, in 1933. (I assume EST is implied)		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy screwed with this 2 times, last at 01/20/2009 1:30:16 pm

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 01:24:58 PM
Carlos44ec Wrote - Today @ 12:59:04 PM I think the oath is significant. Remember that LBJ wasn't technically the Pres until he took the oath of office on the plane. The Snopes article addresses that too. It's definitely an important symbolic moment, but ultimately I too have my doubts that "hasn't taken the oath" would really make any real-world difference, were the worst to happen in some way-shape-or-form. (Though, it also takes about 2 seconds to do, so maybe they would quick do it even then.) LBJ had some time to kill on that plane, and was in a situation that there was nothing immediate to do. If dirty bombs started going off at 12:01 I doubt the military would refuse orders until Obama took the oath.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy messed with this at 01/20/2009 1:29:36 pm

	Scott - 6225 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 03:18:02 PM
Did anyone notice that both Justice John Roberts and Obama pretty muched botched the oath. Also, Roberts ended the oath with a question: So help you God?		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/20/2009 @ 03:43:06 PM
How could you not notice? It seems Roberts didn't leave a pause after "I, [name]" that's normally there. Obama stepped on him, Roberts switched a couple words which threw Obama a bit, since I assume he had previously also memorized it, then tried feeding Obama the line another 1.5 times, I think giving him different wording each time, before Obama just ad libbed a different, and I think also incorrect, version. The internet then proceeded to faction off into "See! Obama is a mush-mouthed-moron too!" and "Roberts tried messing Obama up on purpose!" camps. I'll chalk it up to nerves on both their parts and add that important things like that probably should be written down somewhere both parties can see. To everyone in attendance at our wedding it appeared Sarah and I memorized our vows, which we did, for the most part, but when it was time to throw down I choked halfway through. However, our priest was holding our "lines" for us at the top of the book he was reading from, so all I had to do was glance down and the only person who had to know I blew it was Sarah. Seems like they could have had a similar setup.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Sarah - So's your face 01/20/2009 @ 07:17:34 PM
Jeremy Wrote - Today @ 03:43:06 PM To everyone in attendance at our wedding it appeared Sarah and I memorized our vows, which we did, for the most part, but when it was time to throw down I choked halfway through. However, our priest was holding our "lines" for us at the top of the book he was reading from, so all I had to do was glance down and the only person who had to know I blew it was Sarah. Seems like they could have had a similar setup. I didn't need to memorize any lines or look at any notes, as everything I was saying was coming straight from my heart...		Rate this comment Yours: Total: Rated 1 times.
Sarah messed with this at 01/20/2009 7:17:48 pm

	Matt - Ombudsman 01/21/2009 @ 09:48:33 AM
Sarah Wrote - Yesterday @ 07:17:34 PM I didn't need to memorize any lines or look at any notes, as everything I was saying was coming straight from my heart... Yeah, she just pretended that you were Brett Favre.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - I hate our freedoms 01/21/2009 @ 10:12:40 AM
If only.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Alex - 3619 Posts 01/22/2009 @ 01:19:55 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_oath_do_over		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Carlos44ec - 2079 Posts 01/22/2009 @ 01:38:54 PM
meh.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Sarah - 4605 Posts 01/26/2009 @ 07:47:34 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090127/tv_nm/us_dtv_congress Was this Obama's first move as president? I do not give my approval, uh oh..... But honestly, how long have we known about this? Since what 2002 or earlier? Plus every other thing on TV is a commercial for digital tv or the shows themselves talk about it. If you haven't gotten a convertor box by now, I think that's your own fault and you should have to go without TV until you go and get one. C'mon people.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Alex - I was too weak to give in Too strong to lose 01/26/2009 @ 10:50:02 PM
Sarah Wrote - Today @ 07:47:34 PM http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090127/tv_nm/us_dtv_congress Was this Obama's first move as president? I do not give my approval, uh oh..... But honestly, how long have we known about this? Since what 2002 or earlier? Plus every other thing on TV is a commercial for digital tv or the shows themselves talk about it. If you haven't gotten a convertor box by now, I think that's your own fault and you should have to go without TV until you go and get one. C'mon people. Absolutely. Just do it already, this is going to waste more money and cause more confusion. If someone's TV stops working they'll figure it out quick enough.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/27/2009 @ 12:45:55 AM
Thanks to the non stop ad campaigns awareness of the switch was at 92%. That might seem like it's not a whole lot, but 92% of Americans is a mammoth number. 69% of Americans couldn't name the current VP and 66% couldn't name their Governor, in 2007. Only 80% of people know the earth goes around the sun. Sure, 8% is a lot of people, but at the same time, if they don't know by now the only explanation is they don't watch TV anyway. I don't see the need for a delay. Of the 92% who knew this was coming 40% just put off buying a converter. That's their own fault then. If they are worried about the poor then they shouldn't have opened the coupon program to everyone. That poor person also could have gotten the thing a year ago. Seems like "I can't pony up a one time $40 so that I can ever watch TV again" should be a pretty good motivator for signing up while they're free. The things would probably be cheaper if the coupon program didn't exist anyway. What incentive do the stores/manufacturers have to make/sell them for less than $40 if 98% of the people buying them are buying them with $40 worth of "house money"? It's like many other things, there's going to be problems, shit will hit the fan, old people will be confused and angry, but those are all inevitable issues. Just rip the band aid off on the day you spent 2 years and 234902349324093240934390 ad dollars planning for.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy messed with this 2 times, last at 01/27/2009 12:50:34 am

	Scott - 6225 Posts 01/27/2009 @ 07:43:14 AM
I don't have cable, and I get about 7 or 8 channels with the traditional rabbit ears. With the converter box, I only get 3 channels. This is going to suck.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Scott messed with this at 01/27/2009 7:43:43 am

	Carlos44ec - 2079 Posts 01/27/2009 @ 08:08:31 AM
I buy a fairly fat-pipe internet, so I get the cable for free. Wait- internet costs so darned much I SHOULD get the cable for free.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/28/2009 @ 02:19:42 PM
The bill to delay the DTV transition was killed.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy perfected this at 01/28/2009 2:19:56 pm

	Matt - Ombudsman 01/30/2009 @ 11:14:01 AM
Barack Obama - May 2008: "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said. "That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added. From the New York Times - January 2009: The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat. “He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Matt edited this 3 times, last at 01/30/2009 11:15:19 am

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/30/2009 @ 12:40:53 PM
I see a lot of "ands" in there. He never said you couldn't do any one of them. false && false && true == false		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Matt - 3875 Posts 01/30/2009 @ 12:59:04 PM
Even if he meant it in the "you can do one or two, but not all three" type of way (which I doubt), as President his transportation and food "footprints" are going to be high by the nature of his job. The least he could do is to wear a coat and turn down the heat.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Jeremy - I hate our freedoms 01/30/2009 @ 01:08:19 PM
Yes, his footprint is large, but there's not much that can be done about that. We're not all the president. I'd be interested to know what the thermostat setting actually is. In a suit and tie environment I'm betting that the temp is set quite low in most of the building, and that even if the oval office was around 70 degrees, it would see extremely warm by comparison. (And I was kidding about the one, but not all 3, thing.)		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.

	Alex - 3619 Posts 01/30/2009 @ 01:22:14 PM
Well the orchid reference isn't much of a hint: "Temperature Orchids are not as delicate and temperature sensitive plants as most people think. Most will adapt readily to conditions offered by any home or greenhouse. For growing purposes, we group orchids into three temperature classes: The medium temperature class is represented by many Cattleyas, Epidendrums, Oncidiums, and Laelias, and most other commercially available orchids. The ideal minimum temperature is 60 degrees F nights and high 70s during the days. An occasional deviation will have no harmful effect. This group will do very well with the air, temperature, and light facilities found in the average home. The cool class includes Cymbidiums, Cypripediums, Odontoglossums and Miltonias, and should be grown 5 degrees to 10 degrees F cooler than the medium class. These plants also require high light, so imagine cool, sunny October mornings as an example of the light and temperature that this class needs. Warm class orchids are represented by Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilums, Vandas, Rhynchostylus and Dendrohiums. These plants should be grown 5 degrees F warmer than those in the Medium Class. They do well in high humidity and can be grown outdoors in Georgia from late spring to early fall if shaded and protected from rain. Never expose orchids of this class to less than 45 degrees F. During cold, freezing night temperatures, all orchid plants should be moved away from the window to provide a protective airspace against freezing. Air temperature can be 15 to 20 degrees F cooler near the windows than the room temperature. " http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/horticulture/orchids.html Let me say this, I'm currently wearing an undershirt, long sleeve shirt, and sweatshirt to try and keep warm in my workplace.		Rate this comment Yours: Total: Rated 1 times.

	Jeremy - Robots don't say 'ye' 01/30/2009 @ 01:47:24 PM
Maybe that's a perfect hint and the person who said it is an experienced horticulturalist. It's 73 in here, I have one shirt on, and I'm trying not to pass out of heat exhaustion. Edit: Though I think I might be running a fever.		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.
Jeremy screwed with this at 01/30/2009 1:49:04 pm

	Jeremy - 9475 Posts 01/30/2009 @ 03:11:53 PM
A second bill to move the DTV date passed http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/162977-Senate_Passes_Second_Bill_Changing_DTV_Transition_Date.php		Rate this comment Yours: Rated 0 times.