REQUIRED READINGS:

More hopeandchange:
Senator: "Expect painful cuts in defense spending this year"

Taliban leader:
Vows attack on Washington DC soon that will "amaze the world"

April Fools Pranks
This computer worm named "Downadup" is no joke

NY 20th Congressional District
Special Election Live Results

Finally a good month!
Stocks up in the best month for DOW since 2002

"Drop Dead"
Rush Limbaugh is leaving New York State due to punitive taxes

LET'S WIN THIS RACE:

Tomorrow, March 31 is an important election in the 20th Congressional District of New York (NY 20). NY-20's seat is open because the former Democratic Congresswoman was appointed to the Senate in January to fill Hillary Clinton's seat. This seat was formerly a Republican seat until 2006. In this race Republican Republican Jim Tedisco is running against Democrat Scott Murphy. It is not too late to help out Tedisco find out how here. The district is in upstate New York and includes Albany and Lake Placid. If you know anyone in NY 20 please urge them to vote for Jim Tedisco. If you know anyone on the fence send them to this COMMON CENTS post. The National Republican Trust has some great videos on the race here.

Lest we forget what an abject FAILURE the last two Democratic Congresses have been take a look at the annual US Deficits. The Democrats took over control of Congress in January 2007. "How's that Democratic Congress doing so far?"

10 MINUTE TICKER:

YOU'RE FIRED!
GM CEO resigns at behest of Obama Administration

Thank Goodness!
Germany's chancellor puts and end to a 'Global New Deal'

Mmmmmmmm Donuts:
VIDEO - Finally, Bacon Donuts:

Michelle Malkin:
Celebrate 'Human Achievement Hour'

More hopeandchange
GITMO terrorists to be released in US and will receive financial assistance

Global Warming Update:
Up to 24 inches of snow expected by Tuesday in Dakotas, Minnesota & Montana

"THIS IS THE REAL AMERICA"

Curtis Silwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, was there as well

Was what one young lady said as she rounded a corner outside Tyson's Corner Mall outside of Washington D.C. and looked out at a line that stretched all the way around the far corner of the mall, and then well beyond that. Mr and Mrs COMMON CENTS spend SIX HOURS standing in line Saturday (from 9:30 AM until our book was signed at 3:35 PM) at Tyson's Corner for the Mark Levin book signing. The crowd of thousands could not have been more polite, more well behaved and in better spirits despite a steady soft rain that fell all day. Many of the people had been lined up since 5:30 AM waiting for Mark to sign their book and when we left at 4PM the line was still outside, around the corner and about where it was when we joined it. Mark Levin's book "Liberty and Tyranny" is currently #1 on Amazon.com and today the Barnes and Noble at Tyson's corner sold thousands of them. We took some pictures of the crowd to give a sense of what "Real America" looks like:

Instapundit has a short video of the crowd outside Tyson's Corner waiting to get their book signed by Mark Levin.

FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS:

Let's ban guns!


65 foot swish!
Missouri vs. Memphis in the Sweet 16.


Brilliant! As seen on Hannity:
"It's common sense that when you are in debt you spend less. Anyone except a politician can see that."


Mandatory volunteerism:
The GIVE act - violates the 13th Amendment and costs $6 Billion


Pres Obama on the financial crisis
Worth watching for the Biden vs. Pres Obama vs. Hillary spat

QUICK CLICKS:

hopeandchange:
Gas prices above $2 a gallon - and rising

More hopeandchange:
Unemployment 'continuing claims' sets All-Time High

Say it ain't so:
Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel made $320,000 on Freddie Mac

Ramping Up
President Obama to dispatch additional 4,000 US troops to Afghanistan

Denver International Airport
Live updates on the Spring Blizzard slamming the Denver International Airport

Feeling Red California?
US National Gas Prices by state and county

THE BEST EDITORIAL PAGE

being published is Investor's Business Daily's editorials. IBD published easy-to-read, common sense practical editorials that are regularly referenced by news makers. Today's editorials are superlative but then again they are outstanding every day. Please make IBD one of your "Bookmarked" sites:

Little Dictators:
The very people who caused this mess are promising to clean it up

California's Hefty Union Dues:
It used to be the "Golden State" but unions are killing California

Tea Party Update:
They are growing and coming to a town near you

Predators in Pakistan:
More successes in the War against Terror

Still want to regulate CO2 ?
Why this will lead to more hunger, more poverty and more deaths

Mob Rule in DC:
Everything you need to know about the AIG Scandal

GLOBAL WARMING UPDATES

COMMON CENTS is dedicated to bringing you all the latest Global Warming Updates. We urge you to read these with caution and they are not for the faint of heart. We believe that Global Warming is one of the greatest threats facing mankind and no doubt these Global Warming Alerts will scare you as they scare us!

Blizzard Warnings issued for North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana.

One to Two feet of snow being dumped on North Dakota.

ASPEN — On the heels of a storm that left 13 inches of new snow at Aspen Highlands on Tuesday morning, another system could bring 4 to 8 inches on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Tahoe ski resorts receive 3 feet of new snow

Springtime snow forecast for Oklahoma

Spring Blizzard hits Nebraska Panhandle

AccuWeather.com Not one but TWO blizzards this week

REQUIRED READINGS:

"Are you punch drunk?"
VIDEO - CBS's Steve Croft asks the question on 60 Minutes

Huge Rally!
Some US Markets up as much as 7% today

Wolf Block Law Firm
106 yr old law firm closing its doors - laying off over 300

2009 NFL schedule
Some of it was released today- rest in April

Stimulus Update - US Government - "Buy Chinese!"
Government mandates buying Chinese made condoms 300 jobs to be lost

VIDEO:
Tourists returning to Iraq!

Global Warming Update:
Blizzard closing parts of I-90; up to 20 inches of snow expected

THE INTERNET RADIO NETWORK

Putting a shout out for our sister site The Internet Radio Network. At the IRN you can listen to over 70 of America's top Talk Shows via Free Streaming Audio! The IRN is your one-stop shop to all of America's favorite radio shows. We have your political shows linked (Limbaugh, Hannity, Ingraham, Savage, Prager, Medved, etc), we have sports shows linked (Mike & Mike, ESPN Sportscenter), we have religous shows (Janet Parshall, John Macarthur, Hank Hanagraaff, etc) we have technology shows linked (Kim Komando, Leo Laporte) and more. Want something more eclectic? How about Cigar Dave, Lou Dobbs or Larry Kudlow. And best of all the shows are free! As you may already know

Studies show that the Talk Radio Audience has successful upscale demographics and usually:

• have an income over $75,000 (vs. median US income of $48,200)
• have graduated college
• own their residence
• are likely to use the Internet
• are 25-65 years old (with the numbers of women listeners steadily increasing)

Again please visit The Internet Radio Network and if you like it please tell a friend! Brought to you by the folks at COMMON CENTS.

10 MINUTE TICKER:

The challenge is issued:
Special Olympics Bowler "I can beat the President"

We're Number 4!
CNN falls to fourth place in the Cable TV news battle

The list:
Top 10 gaffes by VP Biden and President Obama

Brother "Can you spare a Trillion"?
Budget Deficit now being pegged at $1.85 Trillion ( or 1,850 Billion)

IBD editorial
Ben's $1.2 Trillion Bet

WSJ:
The dunk that changed history!

Global Warming Update:
Near white out condition in NY City on first day of Spring

Brothers At War extended trailer:
Fascinating documentary about two brothers who go to war and a third who followed to find out why

U S A - U S A - The best quality cars are...

Buick. For the first time in 14 years Lexus has been dethroned as the highest quality car line. The latest J.D. Powers quality survey is back and after interviewing 46,000 car owners the number one automotive manufacture is Buick. Second place is Jaguar. As you know COMMON CENTS recently reported on last year's survey where two of the three highest quality cars are American. Last year the lowest six ranked cars where foreign, this year the seven lowest ranked cars are foreign. Buick has been on a tear lately scoring in the top ten the last 10 years. Ford did very well with all three of their divisions placing above average. You can read all about it here and here.

AIG UPDATES:

AIG the huge insurance juggernaut has been in the news lately for the $170 million in bonuses that are being paid out to executives. AIG was recently bailed out for at least $173 billion by the taxpayer. COMMON CETNS brings you the latest updates here:

AIG boss asks bonus recipients to give back half of bonus...

Some workers already giving their bonuses back...

GOP Congressman demands Fed Treasurer Geithner resign...

AIG employees are receiving Death Threats

AIG donated $101,332 to then Senator Obama (2nd highest amount)

The 2009 stimulus plan mandated the bonuses

Dem Senator Dodd admits "I was responsible for the bonus loophole"

QUICK CLICKS:

List of top receipts of AIG donations

For first time in years GOP leans Dems in Generic Congressional Ballot

Am Legion strongly opposed to Pres Obama's plan to charge Wounded Vets for treatment

Update on the AIG Retention bonuses

Corned Beef recipe

Iraqi's optimism up markedly since last year!

IBD: Bush's Big Victory

VIDEO: The most optimistic and positive Iraq news story yet

Rick Santelli nails it "Trillions vs. Millions"

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY - Who was St. Patrick?

COMMON CENTS wishes everyone a very Happy St Patrick's Day! But who was this St Patrick?

Saint Patrick (estimated AD 387 - AD 461)(Latin: Patricius,^[2] Irish: Naomh Pádraig), said^{[by whom?]} to have been born Maewyn Succat (Latin: Magonus Succetus), was a Roman Britain-born Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba. When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken from his native Wales as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the church, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church. By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish monastery system evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early missionaries had tried to establish. The available body of evidence does not allow the dates of Patrick's life to be fixed with certainty, but it appears that he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the second half of the fifth century. Two letters from him survive, along with later hagiographies from the seventh century onwards. Many of these works cannot be taken as authentic traditions. Uncritical acceptance of the Annals of Ulster (see below) would imply that he lived from 340 to 460, and ministered in what is modern day northern Ireland from 428 onwards. On 17th March St.Patrick's day is celebrated to remember him and what he did. This is celebrated across the world.

Note: COMMON CENTS wants to extend a very Happy St. Patrick's Day greeting to President Barack Obama who is part Irish as everyone knows.

SHARIA LAW UPDATE:

Sharia Law is the legal framework within which the public and private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based on Islamic principles of jurisprudence and for Muslims living outside the domain. Sharia deals with many aspects of day-to-day life, including politics, economics, banking, business, contracts, family, sexuality, hygiene, and social issues. COMMON CENTS is determined to bring you updates on the various aspects of Sharia Law as the pertain to modern socio-economic life.


Saudi judge sentences pregnant rape victim to 100 lashes BUT after she give birth

Sharia law in Italy update:

"The best Islamic State is Sweden"

JAN 2009 - US backs Pakistan's Sharia Law for Peace deal with Taliban

Mar '09 - Minnesota starts 0% interest Sharia Loan program

England 2008 - Muslims in Britain should be able to live under Sharia Law

Sharia Law Top 10 list:

10 MINUTE TICKER

KOSMIX
Is it the next Google?

More hopeandchange
Administration open to taxing health benefits

Finally - Thank Goodness!
Michelle Obama comic books coming soon

Editorial:
The false hope of Embryonic Stem Cells

Well-being rankings:
Utah - Hawaii - Wyoming top the survey

PEACHTREE ROAD RACE
Registration opens today for America's #1 race - limited to 45,000 runners

WEEKEND VIDEOS

COMMON CENTS hopes you enjoy these videos. Back to serious blogging on Sunday:

Hope and Change:

Flashback: "Under my plan electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket"

Quite possible the greatest basketball game EVER played:
Syracuse vs Connecticut 6 OT Game

Brilliant and Poignant
13-year old author Jonathan Krohn defines conservatism in 3 minutes:


A little dated but always classy:
Bush twins video to the Obama girls on living in the White House

REQUIRED READINGS:

April 1, 2009
National "Thank you for smoking day"

4 in a row!
Markets up around% this week!

The Obama effect:
Guns and ammunition flying off shelves - UP 87% Feb 09 vs Feb 08

The 912 project
Glenn Beck's 912project.com mosaic is fascinating

Falling like a rock!
Pres Obama's poll numbers are BELOW Pres Bush's for same period 2001

Isn't this what we wanted?
US Trade Deficit falls again - lowest since 2002

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

The Obama Administration confirmed that it is floating a trial balloon to make wounded US Service members pay for their injuries with private insurance. The proposal is being considered to save money at the Veteran's Administration.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance. Lawmakers say they'd reject a proposal to make veterans pay for treatment of war wounds with private insurance. But the proposal would be "dead on arrival" if it's sent to Congress, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, said. Murray used that blunt terminology when she told Shinseki that the idea would not be acceptable and would be rejected if formally proposed. Her remarks came during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs about the 2010 budget. No official proposal to create such a program has been announced publicly, but veterans groups wrote a pre-emptive letter last week to President Obama voicing their opposition to the idea after hearing the plan was under consideration. The groups also cited an increase in "third-party collections" estimated in the 2010 budget proposal -- something they said could be achieved only if the Veterans Administration started billing for service-related injuries. Asked about the proposal, Shinseki said it was under "consideration." "A final decision hasn't been made yet," he said. Currently, veterans' private insurance is charged only when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries, like getting the flu. - You can read the entire story here. Hot Air.com also has an excellent story about it you can read here.

REQUIRED READINGS:

Great news!
Global Warming skepticism is at an all-time high

More hopeandchange:
Budget deficit hits all-time high - $765 Billion in 5 months

He's lost $18 billion
But Bill Gates is still worth over $40 billion as world's richest man

Two in a row!
Stocks extend gains into a second day!!

Sept 11, 2001
James Carville wanted President Bush to fail on 9-11

Is anyone listening?
By 2-1 margin Americans are OPPOSED to a 2nd stimulus plan

AIR PELOSI ONE:

Judicial Watch has exposed a major story detailing how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has had repeated requests for Military Aircraft. The report says that Pelosi has treated the Air Force as her "personal airline". It seems to us that Speaker Pelosi could at least fly First Class and save the taxpayers untold thousands of dollars each trip.

• In response to a series of requests for military aircraft, one Defense Department official wrote, "Any chance of politely querying [Pelosi's team] if they really intend to do all of these or are they just picking every weekend?...[T]here's no need to block every weekend 'just in case'..." The email also notes that Pelosi's office had, "a history of canceling many of their past requests."
• One DOD official complained about the "hidden costs" associated with the speaker's last minute changes and cancellations. "We have...folks prepping the jets and crews driving in (not a short drive for some), cooking meals and preflighting the jets etc."
• The documents include a discussion of House Ethics rules and Defense Department policies as they apply to the speaker's requests for staff, spouses and extended family to accompany her on military aircraft. In May 2008, for example, Pelosi requested that her husband join her on a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) into Iraq. The DOD explained to Pelosi that the agency has a written policy prohibiting spouses from joining CODEL's into combat zones.
• Documents obtained from the U.S. Army include correspondence from Speaker Pelosi's office requesting an Army escort and three military planes to transport Pelosi and other members of Congress to Cleveland, Ohio, for the funeral services of the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Pelosi noted in her letter of August 22, 2008, that such a request, labeled "Operation Tribute" was an "exception to standard policy."
• The documents also detail correspondence from intermediaries for Speaker Pelosi issuing demands for certain aircraft and expressing outrage when requested military planes were not available. "It is my understanding there are no G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable...The speaker will want to know where the planes are..." wrote Kay King, Director of the House Office of Interparliamentary Affairs. In a separate email, when told a certain type of aircraft would not be available, King writes, "This is not good news, and we will have some very disappointed folks, as well as a very upset [s]peaker." Read the rest of the story here.

10 MINUTE TICKER:

USNS Impeccable
Chinese vessels harass US Navy Ship in international waters

Stem Cell Research
Everything you need to know about the stem cell debate

Should the President succeed or fail?
Fox News dusts off a 2006 Poll (51% of DEMS say "Fail")

More Hope and Change:
Stocks fall to lowest level since September 1996

Are you ready for Sharia Law?
75 year old Saudi Woman sentenced to 40 lashes & 5 months in jail - she TALKED to two young men

SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LAUGH!

No one can deny that COMMON CENTS posts regular hard-hitting commentary of the issues of the day. We pride ourselves on getting the real stories out to you - stories that you won't find anywhere else. However, sometimes you have to put the politics aside, put aside the fact the Stock Market is having a historic meltdown this year and laugh. Seriously. For 20 years "The Simpsons" has been the funniest show on television. Its cutting edge comedy is legendary - who can watch these videos and not crack up. Certainly not me...

Homer Master Card Commercial


Homer the astronaut


"What's a gym?"


Homer tries to vote for Obama!


The Best of Homer:

5-MINUTE TICKER:

Two on One:
Two High School Teachers accused of sexually assaulting SAME student

The new Bear Market:
Dow is down over 28% since Pres Obama was elected!

Poll:
60% oppose DC statehood

USA Today:
How to turn your junk into cash

Editorial #1
Let the trials begin...

Editorial #2
Victims of socialized medicine

FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS

"Only" 9,286 earmarks


Whoopi the Republican? "I don't want to get it coming and going - back off me!"


Can anyone translate? Does "Reset" = "Overcharge"


Glenn Beck - 14% of Small Businesses think they will be going out of business


The Lord of the Rings
"Courage Merry - Courage for our friends"
Superlative video of one of the best scene in one of the best movies ever made"

10-MINUTE TICKER:

President Obama proves the stupidity of all previous Presidents. Read about it here

My 2 cents - CNBC's Jim Cramer weighs in on the White House vs. Limgaugh spat

Still no verdict: Update on the Minnesota Senate Race

Too hot! Is Sarah Palin TOO good looking for her own good?

More hopeandchange! Stocks fall to a NEW 12-year low

CNN: Michael Jackson announces "final curtain call"

USA Today: Cowboys cut T.O.

QUICK CLICKS:

The new enemies list:
White House targets talk show host Rush Limbaugh

Rush Responds:
Limbaugh challenges Pres Obama to a live on-air debate!

Is anyone safe?
McGruff the Crime Dog assaulted by bus driver

It can't go DOWN every day!
Markets finally have a up day - first in over a week

Tea anyone?
Update on the "Tea Parties" protesting the endless bailouts

Jim Cramer on CNBC - "The greatest wealth destruction I’ve seen by a president.”

Hat Tip to Gateway Pundit

WHY ARE WE HAPPY?

I was going to title this post "Your mother was right" but the theme is the same. Mother always said "you can't buy happiness" or "Money does not make you happy". There is a political aspect to happiness and as we all know but the facts may surprise you.

Parents are happier than non-parents, yet when researchers ask parents what they enjoy, looking after their kids is very, very far down the list--well after eating, shopping, exercising, cooking, praying, and even watching TV. Brooks argues that the paradox of parents being happier yet not enjoying the primary task of being a parent (that is looking after one's children) can be explained by noting that while irritating in the short-term, children can bring meaning to life in the long-term. Another factor is that happy people are more likely to have children (note the issue of causation versus correlation).

Conservatives are happier than liberals. Self-described conservatives have been found to classify themselves as "very happy" nearly twice as often as those who call themselves "liberal" or "very liberal". This is not a new trend and has been true for at least the past 35 years. Interestingly this is not because of income differences between the groups (which have been isolated in the study), instead Brooks believes it is because: a) Conservatives are twice as likely to be married; b) Twice as likely to attend church; and c) More likely to have children. Brooks believes that, putting merits aside, the conservative viewpoint is more conducive to happiness than a liberal viewpoint. "Conservatives tend to believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can succeed. this makes them more optimistic than liberal, more likely to feel in control of their lives and therefore happier. American liberals, at their most pessimistic, stress the injustice of the economic system, the crushing impersonal forces that keep the little guy down."

Extremists (liberal or conservative) are happier than moderates. In short, those with extreme political viewpoints are more likely to be happy, and Brooks believes this is because "they are certain that they are right." (Of course this is measuring personal happiness, no one would argue that being around extremists--particularly those with a different viewpoint--brings much happiness.)

In addition conservative tend to be more optimistic about the future and less likely to see themselves, or others, as victims. Liberals are more likely to see themselves and others as victims of circumstance and oppression, and doubt whether individuals can climb without governmental help. Consider a bit of evidence.

• The 2005 Maxwell Poll on Civic Engagement and Inequality asked, “How much upward mobility — children doing better than the family they come from — do you think there is in America: a lot, some, or not much?” Among those sampled, 48 percent of below-average income conservatives believed there’s “a lot,” versus 26 percent of upper-income liberals.

• In the same poll, 90 percent of the poorer conservatives agreed that, “While people may begin with different opportunities, hard work and perseverance can usually overcome those disadvantages.” Just 65 percent of richer liberals agreed.

• The liberal-conservative differences on these questions persist when we control not just for income, but also for education, sex, family situation, religion, and race.

You can read these entire articles here and here.

5 MINUTE TICKER:

At least we still have Hope & Change: Dow drops below 6,800 - first time since '97

Race Again? Update on the still undecided Minnesota Senate race

The real cure: Slowly but surely science embracing Adult Stem Cells over Embryonic

3% - One in 31 US Adults is in jail, prison, probation or supervision

Apple - Berkshire - Toyota: List of 50 most admired companies

Poll: 73% trust judgment people over that of politicians

No kidding! Race did play a factor in seating Sen Roland Burris

Brrrr: Global Warming Protesters brave dangerous blizzard to protest