Dr. Laura Exclusive: 'Bullying' Attacks on Free Speech 'Not American'

Top talk radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger tells Newsmax that the "bullying and scary" tactics of the left are a direct threat to the First Amendment rights of anyone who dares to speak out in defense of traditional American values.

 The best-selling author and syndicated Newsmax columnist announced on CNN's Larry King show Tuesday night that she will leave the radio airwaves at year's end.

But in an exclusive interview with Newsmax, Schlessinger says that, although the broadside over her neutral use of the N-word on her radio program was "the last straw," it was not the true reason she's decided to leave her long-time syndicated radio program.

Rather, she says those who viciously attack conservative talk hosts in the name of political correctness effectively have taken away her First Amendment rights.

Check out the article at Newsmax.com:

/Headline/dr-laura-schlessinger-quits-radio-interview-newsmax-larry-king-racism/2010/08/18/id/367833

Effect of media on political issues

While issues are not central to election campaigns, they can affect
the outcome. In 1932 the New York Times reported Hoover claiming,
"You aren't as hungry as you think." The times reported Roosevelt's
position was that people were hungry. Roosevelt, of course, won the
election.

An example of how television and Hollywood affect political issues is
crime and punishment, according to Dan F. Hahn (Political
Communication, Strata Publishing Co., State College, PA, 2003, p.
259). As television critic Walter Goodman has pointed out the
melodramatic portrayal of crime and westerns on television has led
people either to support capital crime or gun control. While
statistics show that the amount of violent crime is lessening,
politicians dare not support a reasoned approach to crime control for
fear of being labeled soft on crime.

Politicians realize the stands they take on the campaign trail and in
office may have later consequences. One effect of political decision
making is the impact on television ads, not the positive ones but the
negative ones that can destroy a politician's career. According to
former senate majority leader George J. Mitchell of Maine, politicians
worry about "what kind of campaign commercial could be made from a
particular vote as they stand in the well of the senate and prepare to
cast their yeas or nays."

Effect of the media on political rhetoric

The media cause politicians to be careful about how they vote and also on what they say about issues, writes Dan F. Hahn (Political Communication, Strata Publishing Co., State College, PA, 2003, p. 259).
On one hand, to be politically correct politicians avoid "class warfare," but yet to get elected they have to boast about what they have done and will do for the middle class. To be credible they have to appear sincere.
Hahn quotes Robert Brustein, the former dean of the Yale School of Drama, who claims credibility is created by good acting, not politics. It concerns "simulating the role of sincerity" rather than "verifying facts or discovering the truth" (R. Brustein, "News Theater," New York Times Magazine, 16 June 1974, p. 7).
This is driven by the media focus on personality. Shakespeare was right, says Brustein. Because "all the world's a stage," the audience's attention is directed toward the political actor and away from the political action. While television allows the audience to get to know the president, the president is unable to reciprocate. The sense of familiarity may work against the president. President Obama's "hope and change" platitudes may have backfired as he fights to raise his popularity in the polls from the lowest figures of any previous president. His words don't match the perceived in action of the economy.
One technique is to present all issues as crises. The president directs us away from the one-sidedness of the relationship by making every instance in which he speaks sound like a crisis. The crisis brings us together as a people, making us far easier to manage than if we were individuals who feel dejected because the president can't address our needs.
However, sometimes the crisis approach backfires. President Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanual, stated, "Rule one: Never allow a crisis go to waste" (Jeff Zeleny, Obama weighs quick undoing of Bush policy, New York Times, 9 November 2008,  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/us/politics/10obama.html). The result has been the quick passage of stimulus bills and healthcare reform, both unpopular with the American public.

The effects of the television on politicians

Dan F. Hahn (Political Communication, Strata Publishing Co., State College, PA, 2003, p. 257) suggests some ways in which the media affect politicians and the election process.
1. The cost of advertising means that politicians must spend much of their time fund raising. It obligates them later to major campaign contributors.
2. Television shows the intra-party squabbles during the primary process. It makes it difficult to get all party members onside when beginning the campaign against the opposition.
3. The focus on personal lives (which began in the 1960s) keeps many potential candidates from running and puts stress on the candidates and their families.
4. Politicians structure their campaigns to attract television coverage. For example, they learn to deliver messages in 10-second sound bites.
5. Television doesn't allow the politician to be reflective on-air. Rather candidates appear "glib" and absolute rather than moderate in their viewpoints.
6. Candidates must appear to be humorous, making it mandatory to appear on late-night shows, like Saturday Night Live, Jay Leno, or Letterman.

Get monitor to work when laptop lid closed

Here is one solution.

Rest a lollipop stick on the power button before the lid closes, works
everytime.

If that doesn't work, try this one.

Go in control panel>performance and maintenance>power
options>advanced. There is an option: " When I close lid of laptop..."
Select "DO NOTHING." That solves the problem.

99th day of the BP oil spill

By: Jessica Tobin

It has now been nearly 3 months since the BP troubles started and oil starting leaking into the Gulf. BP placed a cap on the well Monday morning after 3 days of preparation in hopes that this will stop the leaking at least temporarily. Engineers started running tests the cap to see if it would hold pressure. The engineers will start by slowly shutting off 3 valves. They will wait around 6 hours to see if the oil pressure can be held by the cap. The goal is about 8,000 – 9,000 lbs per square inch of the well. Even if this cap works, there is still a lot to be done. The blown-out well needs to be plugged up and that won’t happen until mid-august at the earliest because one of the relief valves has to be drilled down far enough to reach it. As of Tuesday, the 84^th day of the incident, 90.4 and 178.6 million gallons of oil have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.

Project captures Social Security “Stories,” seeks submissions from public

The 'Social Security Stories Project' calls on the public to share
their personal stories and utilizes social media to spread the word.

Newcastle, Maine (Vocus/PRWEB ) July 9, 2010 -- An effort to gather
stories about the importance of Social Security in our society has
resulted in a special video project and upcoming book. The Social
Security Stories Project is seeking story submissions from the public,
with a goal of receiving 1,000 stories by the end of July. The stories
will then be reviewed for possible inclusion in a new book to be
published in honor of the 75th anniversary of Social Security on Aug.
14, 2010.

There are currently 10 stories featured in a new video that was
showcased by the National Academy of Social Insurance on June 22, 2010
at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  The video can also be
viewed on YouTube. The video uses photos submitted by the story
tellers, as well as audio captured through a special toll-free number
set up for the project.

Those who have received Social Security as well as those who know of a
friend or family member whose life was impacted are encouraged to
submit their stories. Online submission is easy and requires less than
400 words or a short video. Full details and a submission form are
available at www.SocialSecurityStories.org. Stories can also be shared
by calling 1-800-335-2082.

"We are hoping the younger generations will interview their parents
and grandparents on the subject which is why our website offers
interview questions," says Barbara Burt, executive director for the
Frances Perkins Center, a nonprofit organization leading the project
as part of its mission to honor and learn from Frances Perkins (the
first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet). A pioneering woman in
and ahead of her time, Perkins was U.S. secretary of labor for
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She was champion of the New Deal, close
friend and advisor to FDR.

The Social Security Stories Project seeks to create a full picture of
the importance of Social Security to celebrate and share with all U.S.
citizens, and the world.
Stories featured in the video include:

•    The story of a new dad that died a few days after his son was
born. The son received his Social Security benefits, preventing a
further tragedy for the family. "I am saddened that my grandson has to
grow up without his daddy," says Angela Stockwell of Athens, Maine.
"But I am grateful that a program which began 75 years ago still
exists today to help struggling families deal financially with the
loss of a loved one."
•    The story of a dad struck by cancer suddenly, leaving his wife to
care for their children alone. "The funeral director in our small town
told my mom about benefits available from Social Security that would
help her," says Evonne Zalewski of Greendale, Wis. " I remember my mom
telling me how this will help so much and that we will not be poor or
have to move. Having grown up during the depression with only food
stamps available was terrifying for my mom."

 "We're inviting people across America to share examples of how Social
Security made a meaningful difference in their life or the life of
someone they know -- as it currently does for one in six Americans,"
says Burt.

Go to SocialSecurityStories.org for more information.