13 thoughts on “Mother’s Day open thread

  1. I hope all the moms on here had a good Mother’s Day!

    I do have a question that I’m hoping someone on here can answer for me. I know there have been things posted about Open Records Requests on here before, and I am just wondering since Wisconsin doesn’t have a specific time limit as to how long governmental agencies have to respond to an ORR does anyone know what the appropriate time is to wait for the ORR to be done by an agency?

    1. Anon, because there’s no set time table laid out within the statute, there really is no good answer as to how long agencies have to respond or how long you should wait before pushing the issue. When I’ve done ORR’s, I’ve given the agency responding at least three weeks to respond before I start pushing the issue.

  2. Here’s what the President had to say on Mother’s Day in a commencement address: “And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction…”

    What is he, an idiot or something? How can be so out of touch?

    Wait, you mean President Obama said this and not President Bush? Oh ok then, nevermind.

  3. Which part of his statement is idiotic? Not knowing how to work the four tech toys he mentioned or that information becomes a distraction?

    1. Well, both really. I was focusing on the part where he said he doesn’t know how to work an ipod. You can bet if GWB has said that the media would be all over him for being a dummy. “It’s a touch screen Mr. President, you touch the buttons and something happens”– I can hear them now.

      But now that you mention it, the second half of the statement is pretty dumb too. The ipad is really the only device mentioned that transmits information (the ipod to a limited extent does, but not really the game playing devices of xbox or playstation).

      1. Actually the part about not knowing how to use them is much ado about nothing. Sorta like the campaign dig against Senator McCain not being able to use a PC or do email. If knowledge of any of these items beyond knowing what they are were part of the job description it might be important…but as it is…it was probably just a means to make his audience sympathetic to his point of view.

        Now otoh: I don’t know what your definition of information is but all four of these items are definitely devices that deliver information. Music, film, videos, books, images, email, documents, text messages, instant messaging, GPS, etc, etc, etc are all various forms of information. So these devices provide information. Certainly in different formats and with different levels of interaction with the user and with the outside world. But all of them provide information in more than one format.

        And the President was spot on when he said that the way these items are currently used provides information that in fact does become a distraction.

        btw: The Air Force is currently experimenting with a super computer consisting of 2,200 PlayStation 3 consoles…

        1. Well I don’t believe for a minute that if President Bush said he didn’t know how to run an ipod, that it wouldn’t be all over the media and they would be making fun of him. If it were Bush he would be labeled an idiot, but it’s Obama so he’s just making the audience sympathetic to his point of view. How brilliant.

          And remember Bush Sr. who was intrigued by the grocery store scanner? That was a big deal too. And yes, it was the Obama campaign who made fun of McCain for not e-mailing — until it was discovered that he couldn’t because of his disability derived from being a POW. As Zach would say “stay classy Obama campaign.”

          1. Ok, I tried to take the high road on this one…but you brought it up. The claim that Senator McCain couldn’t do email because of his war disability is pure unadulterated bullshit…I am a computer progammer…one of my colleagues is a quadraplegic in a powered wheel chair. He writes computer code with a pen stuck in his fist and moves his curser around by rolling a track ball and then clicking a button with a pen. And he’s damn good at it. Senator McCain didn’t do email because he didn’t want to and didn’t need to…why that couldn’t be said is beyond me.

            And I know it was derisively discussed during the campaign…not sure if it actually came from the Obama campaign staff or the media…but the claim he didn’t use email was of no consequence…the story about not using it because of a disability is bogus and should have been called out…it’s an insult to those Americans who are far more disabled and find a way.

            1. It was reported in the Boston Globe years before the ’08 campaign that “McCain’s severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes.” http://graphics.boston.com/news/politics/campaign2000/news/McCain_character_loyal_to_a_fault+.shtml

              Whether you beleive it to be true or not, the fact remains that Obama made fun of him for not e-mailing, while now that same Obama admits not being able to work an ipod or ipad, devices that are known for ease of use.

  4. Obama Administration Dumb Statement #2 of the Week:

    White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday the Obama administration will “keep a boot on the throat” of BP to make sure the company stops oil from a sunken rig from pouring into the Gulf of Mexico as soon as possible.

    I’m sure they want to sound tough, but what would have been wrong with saying “we will hold them accountable.” As far as I can tell BP came forward and accepted responsibility. Just goes to show the kind of hositily Obama has against private industry in this country.

    “Boot on the throat” — would be nice if this administration used that kind of language when referring to its action against terrorism!

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