Hawaii is a foreign country

This is interesting. 62% of the population believes Obama was born in the US.  24% believe he wasn’t.  14% don’t know.

But breaking down the 38% is even more interesting.  Apparently most of the birthers aren’t even up on the birther theories.  10% of the country believes he was born in Indonesia, even though the prevailing conspiracy theory is that he was born in Kenya.  7% believe that.  1% believes he was born in the Philippines.

So that leaves the remaining 20 percent of the don’t-believe-he-was-born-in-the-US crowd and those who aren’t sure.  About half of them believe he was born in Hawaii.  6% of the country doesn’t believe that Hawaii is part of the United States.  4% aren’t sure.

These are probably the same people who don’t believe that Medicare is a government program.

By the way, according to the poll 9 percent of the birthers are liberals.  I have to hope that some of the responses are products of sarcasm.

Why the tide may have turned

Pressure from you.

Sign the anti-weasel petition through this link.

Addendum: Here’s Rachel Maddow’s parable – health care debate as ordering pizza.

Meanwhile, the White House isn’t happy with us annoying progressives right now.  But unless progressives constitute 57% percent of the American public, we’re speaking for a much broader base.

Second addendum: Josh Marshal opines on the inflation of the “nuclear option.”

Seems like only a few years ago the “nuclear option” was abolishing the filibuster. Now it’s just pushing through a health care bill without Chuck Grassley?

Natural History Museum meeting today

Guess post:

I’m hoping you may be interested in doing another post to update about the Natural History Museum and the progress and planning the group of volunteers is doing to keep the museum open. The following is a press release sent out to various media outlets. Wednesday’s meeting will be the first big push to getting our Fundraising efforts assigned and started. If you’d like more information please do not hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to work with you on another posting/ more information to keep the word out about our efforts.

Thank You,

Cutcha Baldy
Volunteer Marketing Coordinator

COMMUNITY CONTINUES EFFORTS TO SAVE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

A survey of potential pledges garners $27,000 in one day

On Monday August 17 a dedicated group of community volunteers and members of the Board for the Natural History Museum met at a second planning meeting to discuss the future of the museum. A survey of attendees at the meeting garnered potential pledges for $27,000 to help keep the museum open. Additionally, the group launched plans for short term fundraising and long term strategies to keep the museum open.

On August 7, 2009 Humboldt State University announced plans to close the museum due to State Budget Constraints. Immediately after the announcement concerned community members rallied their support to “Save Arcata’s Natural History Museum.” On August 12 the first community meeting was held at the Museum with over 60 people in attendance. At this meeting Dean James Howard and Associate Dean Steven Smith agreed to let the group come up with a plan by Aug. 28 to raise $120,000 and to submit strategies for long term fiscal support for the museum. A second meeting held on August 17 set forth a fundraising, marketing and long term strategies plan for the future of the museum.

The museum was opened 20 years ago with donations from companies and foundations. HSU pays about $100,000 annually for the museum director’s salary, utilities, maintenance, and a portion of the museum’s operating expenses. The museum generates a roughly equivalent amount, about $120,000, through memberships, programs, store sales, sponsorships, and donations from the public.

The next scheduled meeting to discuss the fundraising plan and proposal submission will be during the Board Meeting at the Natural History Museum on August 19, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. The group has also launched a blog (http://savearcatanhm.blogspot.com) ; twitter (www.twitter.com/savearcatanhm) ; and Facebook page.

For the most up to date information about this event and what others can do to help out the fundraising effort please visit the blog or email savearcatanhm@gmail.com . For interviews please contact Karen Reiss, 825-0465 or karen-reiss@redwoods.edu