5 False Assumptions Political Pundits Make All the Time

By Molly Ball


Feb 27 2013

From voter polarization to campaign ads, a political scientist calls out the mistaken notions commonly perpetuated by election commentators.


If following the 2012 presidential election sometimes made you want to scream at your television, imagine how political scientists felt.

As they watched, helpless, the pundits paraded across their screens, spouting theories about the way politics works that academics know to be wrong. In the words of Morris Fiorina, a political scientist at Stanford: "Like all election seasons, the 2012 campaign was rich in commentary that was at odds with or unsupported by findings from political science."

Fiorina is the author of a recent article published in The Forum, a political-research quarterly, that seeks to dismantle some of the most widespread misconceptions.If you're a pundit, someone who loves a pundit, or a cable-news viewer who enjoys feeling smarter than the people you see on TV, here's what you can learn from Fiorina's analysis.

Continue at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/02/5-false-assumptions-political-pundits-make-all-the-time/273544/?google_editors_picks=true

SCDOT Requests Public Input in Statewide Online Transportation Plan Development Survey

2/26/2013 

                 South Carolina Department of Transportation is pleased to invite you to participate in the Online Public Transportation Survey as part of the SCDOT Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan development.  This survey is designed to collect public opinion on existing and future transit services in the state of South Carolina and will assist in the development of the Statewide Public Transportation Plan. 

                This survey was developed to better understand your opinion of current public transportation services offered in South Carolina. You have the opportunity to identify existing public transportation needs and strategies for the future through this online survey. Public feedback gathered from the survey will become part of the Statewide Public Transportation Plan.

                The survey will be available online until March 12, 2013 and can be accessed at any time from any computer during that period.  Go to:

http://www.scdot.org/inside/public_comment.aspx

Why I'm quitting Facebook

By Douglas Rushkoff, CNN

February 25, 2013

Today, I am surrendering my Facebook account, because my participation on the site is simply too inconsistent with the values I espouse in my work. In my upcoming book "Present Shock," I chronicle some of what happens when we can no longer manage our many online presences. I have always argued for engaging with technology as conscious human beings and dispensing with technologies that take that agency away.

Facebook is just such a technology. It does things on our behalf when we're not even there. It actively misrepresents us to our friends, and worse misrepresents those who have befriended us to still others. To enable this dysfunctional situation -- I call it "digiphrenia" -- would be at the very least hypocritical. But to participate on Facebook as an author, in a way specifically intended to draw out the "likes" and resulting vulnerability of others, is untenable.

Facebook has never been merely a social platform. Rather, it exploits our social interactions the way a Tupperware party does.

Continue at:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/opinion/rushkoff-why-im-quitting-facebook/index.html

High Debt and Falling Demand Trap New Vets

By DAVID SEGAL

February 25, 2013

The problem is a boom in supply (that is, vets) and a decline in demand (namely, veterinary services). Class sizes have been rising at nearly every school, in some cases by as much as 20 percent in recent years. And the cost of vet school has far outpaced the rate of inflation.

America may be pet-crazed and filled with people eager to buy expensive fetch toys and heated cat beds. But the total population of pets is going down, along with the sums that owners are willing to spend on the health care of their animals, one of the lesser-known casualties of the recession.

 Today, the ratio of debt to income for the average new vet is roughly double that of M.D.’s, according to Malcolm Getz, an economist at Vanderbilt University. To practitioners in the field, such numbers are ominous, and they portend lean times for new graduates.

“We’re calling for more bodies coming through the veterinary educational pipeline at higher and higher cost at the very point in time that we need fewer and fewer,” says Dr. Eden Myers, a vet in Mount Sterling, Ky., who runs the Web site JustVetData, where she crunches numbers about the profession. “And they are going to get paid less and less.” 

Excerpts from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/business/high-debt-and-falling-demand-trap-new-veterinarians.html?pagewanted=all&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

Just how ‘draconian’ is the sequester? (in 4 infographics)

by Aaron Blake

February 21, 2013

At this point, the word “draconian” is becoming a cliche in Washington.

Specifically, the word is being used as nauseum to describe the steep spending cuts contained in the sequester — especially when it comes to the defense budget, which takes the brunt of nearly half of the sequester cuts.

But some are arguing that the cuts aren’t all that spectacular at all. And below are a couple illustrations of their points.

First is a new pair of infographics from the conservative American Action Forum and ex-Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

Continue at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/02/21/just-how-draconian-is-the-sequester-in-4-infographics/

The Sequester: Absolutely everything you could possibly need to know, in one FAQ

by Dylan Matthews

February 20, 2013


At the end of the month, the dreaded sequester is set to take effect. Hands up if you know what exactly that means — and be honest. Don’t worry, we’re here to set you straight. Follow along for answers to some of the most-asked questions about the impending cuts.

What is the sequester?

The sequester is a group of cuts to federal spending set to take effect March 1, barring further congressional action.

Where did it come from?

The sequester was originally passed as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), better known as the debt ceiling compromise. It was intended to serve as incentive for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (aka the “Supercommittee”) to come to a deal to cut $1.5 trillion over 10 years. If the committee had done so, and Congress had passed it by Dec. 23, 2011, then the sequester would have been averted. Obviously, that didn’t happen.

Continue at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonk....now-in-one-faq/

Five myths about picking a pope

By Thomas J. Reese, Friday, February 22, 11:08 AM

Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest, is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. He is the author of “Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.”


Next month, 117 cardinals from across the globe will gather inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, invoke the Holy Spirit and elect a pope to replace Benedict XVI, who’s resigning at the end of this month. Behind closed doors, cut off from the outside world, they will choose a leader who will have an impact on not only the Catholic Church but the entire planet. Let’s look at some of the misconceptions about how the cardinals will select the latest successor to Saint Peter.

1. Pope Benedict resigned, rather than remain in office until death, so he could influence the cardinals to elect someone like him.

2. The next pope is likely to be African or Latin American.

Continued at:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-picking-a-pope/2013/02/22/d9d85364-7b77-11e2-9a75-dab0201670da_story.html?wprss&google_editors_picks=true

Free Public Wi-Fi to Get Faster to Meet Mobile Demands

By Kenneth Corbin

Thu, February 21, 2013

In response to the soaring use of smartphones, tablets and other data-hungry wireless devices in public mobile broadband hotspots such as airports and convention centers, government regulators have voted in favor of a proposal to increase the capacity of free public Wi-Fi.

 Federal regulators yesterday voted unanimously to initiate a proceeding that could substantially increase the capacity of free, public Wi-Fi networks, boosting speeds and easing congestion in mobile broadband hotspots such as airports and convention centers.

Continue at:

http://www.cio.com/article/729221/Free_Public_Wi_Fi_to_Get_Faster_to_Meet_Mobile_Demands?google_editors_picks=true

More Not-So-Buon-Appetito: Nestle Admits To Horsemeat Ravioli, Tortellini

Worldcrunch
LeMonde

2013-02-19

Nestlé, the world' biggest food company, is now riding straight into the center of the growing horsemeat scandal. A spokesman has confirmed 1% presence of horse DNA in two of its beef products sold in Europe, Buitoni Beef Ravioli and Beef Tortellini, reports BBC.

The Swiss-based food producer said Tuesday it has started to withdraw the two pre-packaged pasta products from store shelves in the Spanish and Italian markets where the horsemeat traces have appeared.

The problem appears to be connected to the German supplier H.J. Schypke, a sub-contractor of JBS Toledo, a major meat company based in Belgium, says AFP.

The decision follows the one taken by the giant German supplier Lidl, which announced Monday the withdrawal of several products found to contain horsemeat instead of beef from its stores in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Belgium.

Continue at:

http://worldcrunch.com/food-travel/more-not-so-buon-appetito-nestle-admits-to-horsemeat-ravioli-tortellini/horsemeat-scandal-nestl-beef-buitoni/c6s10968/#.USWM0e_xFRx

See Also:  The Absolute 100% Pure Truth Behind The Lies Of Horsegate

Horsemeat in our pure processed delights! Are we innocent victims or willing suckers of the consumer marketing machine?

http://worldcrunch.com/food-travel/the-absolute-100-pure-truth-behind-the-lies-of-horsegate/horsemeat-scandal-findus-picard-safety/c6s10970/#.USWNae_xFRw

As parked 787s multiply, Boeing cash drain worries grow

By Bill Rigby and Harriet McLeod

Feb 20, 2013 5:30am EST

(Reuters) - Paine Field Airport, next door to Boeing Co's widebody plant north of Seattle, is getting crowded as 10 new 787 Dreamliners flank the runway, sparkling with contrasting and colorful liveries, including Poland's LOT, Britain's Thomson Airways and China Southern Airlines (600029.SS).

It is a similar story several thousand miles away, outside the company's North Charleston, South Carolina final assembly building, where space is taken up by four 787s destined for Air India .

A month after the global fleet of the carbon-composite jets were grounded as U.S. and Japanese regulators carry out investigations into overheating batteries, the parked airliners are a stark symbol of deepening problems this is causing Boeing.

Continue at:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/uk-boeing-dreamliner-delays-idUSLNE91J00920130220

Schools Ask: Gifted or Just Well-Prepared?

By JENNY ANDERSON

Published: February 17, 2013

 When the New York City Education Department announced that it was changing part of its admissions exam for its gifted and talented programs last year, in part to combat the influence of test preparation companies, one of those companies posted the news with links to guides and practice tests for the new assessment. 

The day that Pearson, a company that designs assessments, announced that it was changing an exam used by many New York City private schools, another test prep company attempted to decipher the coming changes on its blog: word reasoning and picture comprehension were out, bug search and animal coding were in. 

In New York, it has now become an endless contest in which administrators seeking authentic measures of intelligence are barely able to keep ahead of companies whose aim is to bring out the genius in every young child. 

The city’s leading private schools are even considering doing away with the test they have used for decades, popularly known as the E.R.B., after the Educational Records Bureau, the organization that administers the exam, which is written by Pearson.
Continue at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/nyregion/new-york-city-schools-struggle-to-separate-the-gifted-from-the-just-well-prepared.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

How to Maximize Social Security If Disabled and Other SS Questions

by Paul Solman

February 16, 2013

Larry Kotlikoff's Social Security original 34 "secrets", his additional secrets, his Social Security "mistakes" and his Social Security gotchas have prompted so many of you to write in that we now feature "Ask Larry" every week.

Dear Larry,

You told me recently about the nuances of disability benefits. A lot of questions on this page come from people on SSDI -- Social Security Disability Insurance. Furthermore, as I was amazed to discover when responding to a question about the minimum wage reducing the welfare rolls, some 14 million Americans depend on disability payments from SS, which dwarfs the 4.3 million getting welfare checks.

Would you please share your discoveries about details of disability benefits that may escape notice?

Larry Kotlikoff: Paul, Social Security has a separate set of equally Byzantine provisions governing disabled workers as it does non-disabled workers.

I want to point out a couple of features of Social Security's treatment of disabled workers once they reach age 62. I'm answering your question in order to assist those who have a hard enough time as it is. (Full disclosure: I've been helped enormously on this column by Jerry Lutz, a former technical expert on Social Security.)

Let me illustrate the options available only to the disabled by considering a disabled worker I'll call "Joe," about to turn 62.

Continue at:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2013/02/how-the-disabled-can-maximize.html

Bringing Color to Presidents Past

February 17, 2013

By Nancy Gibbs

Armchair historians — and actual ones — have always enjoyed ranking American presidents, recasting Mount Rushmore, debating who was greatest of them all. There are the perennial favorites —Washington, Lincoln, FDR — and the eternally scorned: James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce. Then there are those who voters abused but history redeemed: Herbert Hoover was hung in effigy, his motorcades pelted with rotten fruit, as he left office in the midst of the depression in 1933; yet twenty years later, after his epic humanitarian missions leading post-war disaster relief, he ranked among the most admired men in in America. Harry Truman had a 22% approval rating his last year in office, yet is now exalted for his common sense and steady hand during the dangerous birth of the atomic age.

Among those least inclined to judge and rank the presidents are the presidents themselves. They know the deep and often damaging toll the job takes on all those who hold it, successful or not: the toll on health, on family, on any kind of normalcy. A few weeks after his reelection in 2004, I asked George W. Bush whether he thought more or less highly of his predecessors, now that he’d been in the job a while.

Photo essay at:

http://lightbox.time.com/2013/02/17/bringing-color-to-presidents-past/?xid=gonewsedit&google_editors_picks=true#1

A Genetic Code for Genius?

In China, a research project aims to find the roots of intelligence in our DNA; searching for the supersmart


By GAUTAM NAIK
February 15, 2013

At a former paper-printing factory in Hong Kong, a 20-year-old wunderkind named Zhao Bowen has embarked on a challenging and potentially controversial quest: uncovering the genetics of intelligence.

Studies show that at least half of the variation in intelligence quotient, or IQ, is inherited.

Mr. Zhao is a high-school dropout who has been described as China's Bill Gates. He oversees the cognitive genomics lab at BGI, a private company that is partly funded by the Chinese government.

At the Hong Kong facility, more than 100 powerful gene-sequencing machines are deciphering about 2,200 DNA samples, reading off their 3.2 billion chemical base pairs one letter at a time. These are no ordinary DNA samples. Most come from some of America's brightest people—extreme outliers in the intelligence sweepstakes.

The majority of the DNA samples come from people with IQs of 160 or higher. By comparison, average IQ in any population is set at 100. The average Nobel laureate registers at around 145. Only one in every 30,000 people is as smart as most of the participants in the Hong Kong project—and finding them was a quest of its own.

Continue at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324162304578303992108696034.html?google_editors_picks=true
 

Facebook paid no taxes despite record profits

Editors

February 16, 2013


Despite earning more than $1 billion in profits last year, social media juggernaut Facebook paid zilch when it came to federal and state taxes in 2012.

In fact, the website will actually be getting a refund totaling $429 million thanks to a tax reduction for executive stock options.

In the coming years, Facebook will continue to get monster tax breaks, totaling about $3 billion.

“The employees cash in stock options, and at that point there is tax deduction for the company,” Robert McIntyre, of watchdog group Citizens for Tax Justice, said in an interview with Fox News Channel. “Because even though it doesn’t cost Facebook a nickel, the government treats it as wages and they get a deduction for it. And usually it doesn’t wipe out companies whole tax bill, although many companies get big breaks from it.”

Continue at:

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/02/16/facebook-paid-no-taxes-despite-record-profits/

Weekend unofficial start of SC spring tourism

By By Bruce Smith

February 15, 2013
 
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — This weekend marks the unofficial start of the spring tourism season in South Carolina, a year in which tourism officials expect the $15 billion industry will return to levels of before the Great Recession.

There are a number of new events and tourism attractions around the state this year in addition to the yearly events that have become traditions for both South Carolinians and out-of-state visitors.

The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition opened its three-day run in Charleston on Friday. More than 500 artists and exhibitors are attending the event that each year brings about 40,000 visitors to venues around the city.

The expo, now in its 30th year and which started in 1983 with about 100 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees, attracts visitors to see everything form sporting dog competitions to displays of wildlife and exhibits of wildlife art.

Continue at:

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-02-15/weekend-unofficial-start-of-sc-spring-tourism

Spate of fires poses problems for cruise industry

By Tim Lister, CNN
February 15, 2013

Fires on cruise ships often lead to loss of electrical power.  Backup power is difficult when ships are 10 to 15 floors high.  Regulating the cruise industry is a haphazard business.

Editor's note: Tim Lister produced "Cruise to Disaster," a CNN documentary on the capsizing of the Costa Concordia.

(CNN) -- The last few years have seen a rash of engine fires aboard cruise ships -- many of which have led to an almost total loss of electrical power. Passengers on board the Carnival Triumph are but the latest to endure the consequences: a lack of hot food and water, a loss of air conditioning and refrigeration, sanitation systems on the verge of collapse.

Beyond these inconveniences are more serious issues: a loss of engine-power to the vessel and the lack of stabilization. If a ship is on the high seas in rough weather there is a greater risk of injury as the vessel pitches and rolls. The situation is further aggravated if tugs are days -- not hours -- away.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board warned after one such fire that "Hazardous situations that may result from a ship losing propulsive power include vessel grounding, inability to avoid severe weather conditions, and passenger evacuation at sea."

Tears and big hugs as passengers reunite with families.

Continue at:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/travel/cruise-fires/

The Gift Was as Flimsy as My Rationale

By DAVID FINCH

Published: February 14, 2013

 Like most people, I try to be pragmatic when it comes to buying gifts. I’m told that I tend to over-think things like this, which may have something to do with my having Asperger syndrome, but I fail to see the problem with my over-thinking. On the contrary, devising a formal process for gift giving has made my life easier in a number of ways, especially when shopping for my wife, Kristen.

It’s simple. A proper gift must satisfy a few basic criteria. Without going into specifics (I’ll spare you the flow chart), a thoughtful present can generally be defined as one that (a) the recipient has requested or expressed interest in; (b) offers some practical benefit for the recipient; (c) reflects the personal interests of the recipient; or (d) stimulates the recipient’s sense of nostalgia by triggering an emotionally gratifying memory — or all of the above.

Continue at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/fashion/seduced-by-a-gift-that-broke-the-rules-modern-love.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Inlet Happenings

Dessert ~ Wine ~ Silent Art Auction Saturday, February 16th, 7:30 - 10:30 at Ebb & Flow Art Gallery in Murrells Inlet (across from Thomas Supply) $12 per person or $20 per couple    Tickets available at Ebb & Flow Art Gallery or by calling 843-448-3180.  Tickets also available at the door.  All proceeds benefit the Rape Crisis Center of Horry & Georgetown Counties.          Keep Our Pet Food Bank Grand Opening February 17th, 1 -  4 pm at Live Oak Center, 4764 Hwy 17 Bypass S. Murrells Inlet  The food bank is a 501(c)3 charity.  Their mission is Keeping People and Pets Together.  They help Horry and Georgetown county low income and senior pet owners.  Bring a 5lb or bigger bag of cat or dog food for the donation boxes. Pet friendly vendors, food, animals for adoption, etc. Call 651-0778 for more information or if you want to be a vendor or make a donation.         Shuckin' on the Strand Oyster Roast presented by FSA- Full Steam Ahead February 23, 2013, 12 - 4 pm  at The Hot Fish Club in Murrells Inlet Attendees will enjoy all you can eat oysters, BBQ and fixin's from Prosser's, drinks and entertainment by DJ Lex Diamond "Your Favorite DJ's Favorite DJ" and special guest MC Country.  Cost is $25 for ticket which includes all you can eat oysters, BBQ and fixin's from Prosser's BBQ and two draft beers. Kids 8 and under are $10.  Proceeds benefit the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce gsScene young professionals program.  For more information contact Shannon Furtick at (843) 916-7240 or CLICK HERE  to visit gsScene website.   Blood Drive  Waccamaw Community Hospital   March 1st, 10am-4pm  at the Wachesaw Conference Center     To schedule an appointment, please call Kendra Roberts @ (843) 652-1152 or online at www.redcrossblood.org, enter sponsor code WaccamawHosp.  Walk-ins are welcome.       DOG  AGILITY  COMPETITION Friday, March 15, 5 PM - 8 PM Saturday, March 16, 9 AM - 4 PM Sunday, March 17, 9 AM - 4 PM at A Dog's Way Inn in Murrells Inlet 761 Pendergrass Avenue (behind T-Bones Steak House) A Way to Play Dog Agility Club invites everyone to come cheer for teams of K9 athletes & their human handlers as they race against the clock while maneuvering a field of obstacles.  With over 200 races each day, dog agility is a fun & fast-paced spectator sport. The public is welcome to watch at no charge. Refreshments will be available.  Call   (843) 357-4545 for more information.      February  at Brookgreen Gardens located in Murrells Inlet, SC  Trekker Tours:  Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 12 noon and 2:30 p.m. Ride down back roads & explore cemeteries, the "Silent Cities" at Brookgreen.  Call (843) 235-6042 for reservations.   Exhibit:  "Sweetgrass: A Living Legacy of Family and Community".  January 14 - March 1 Exhibition:  Willard Hirsch: Charleston's Sculptor, January 26 - April 21. Exhibition:  Recent Acquisitions of Brookgreen Gardens, January 26 - April 21    Performance:  "Becoming Harriet", a one-woman performance about Harriet Tubman by Natalie E. Daise.  February 23rd at 1pm and 3pm. Brookgreen Gardens, a National Historic Landmark and non-profit organization, is located on U.S. 17 in Murrells Inlet, and is open to the public daily. CLICK HERE to visit the Brookgreen website or call 843-235-6000.  Lots Happenin' in the Inlet !  MI2020 Spring Chowder Talk - March 19, 2013  Race for the Inlet - March 30, 2013 Marshwalk Masters - April 13, 2013 Spring Tide - April 28, 2013  Click HERE for more info on these and many more Inlet events. Become a fan of Murrells Inlet on Facebook for  the latest news and event photos.

What cruise lines don't want you to know

By James Walker

February 14, 2013

(CNN) -- A Carnival cruise ship was adrift 150 miles off the coast of Mexico after an engine room fire. Cruise passengers were complaining about the lack of air conditioning, hot cabins, cold food and toilets that wouldn't flush.

As I watched the news broadcast, I thought it was a documentary about the Carnival Splendor, which suffered a disabling engine room fire in November 2010 off Mexico. But the story was about the Carnival Triumph, which caught fire early Sunday after sailing from Galveston, Texas, with more than 3,100 passengers.

The cruise industry says cruise ship fires are rare, but they are not rare. They happen with alarming frequency. In the two years between the Splendor and the Triumph fires, more than 10 cruise ship fires were reported in the media. Several cruise ships were completely disabled, including the Costa Allegra, the Bahamas Celebration and the Ocean Star.

The Azamara Quest was partially disabled and had to crawl back to port in Indonesia. The Allegra and Quest broke down in waters where pirates frequent, to add to the drama.

A fire aboard the Queen Mary II was later determined to have been caused by a "catastrophic explosion."

Continue at:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/13/opinion/walker-cruise-ships/index.html