Webs’ Random Ideas

Life From a Grad Student’s Perspective

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Critical Thinking Gone Awry

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Obama made the point the other day about we can do to help keep gas prices down, save oil, and help the planet. Two simple things, keep tires inflated to recommended levels and have regular tune-ups. Both are not just smart, but good for the car.

Well fanatacal Gingrich has let politics completely control his brain as he makes the following statement:

GINGRICH: He has a position that’s frankly ludicrous. We saw him yesterday. He suggested if we all inflated our tires, that we would solve the problem. Think about it. You ought to take that clip. I think that clip is far more devastating than today because it’s loony toons.

So is it Loony Toons? Let see what evidence would tell us…

The Department of Energy estimates that (based on gas costing $3.96/gallon), “you can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure” which would ultimately save “up to $0.12/gallon” or, nearly the amount of the federal gas tax ($0.18/gallon), a tax Gingrich supports repealing. Moreover, the auto industry agrees with DoE’s assessment.

It really would not have been hard at all for Gingrich to spend a few minutes to find out if what Obama said was true. In fact he prolly doesn’t have to spend any time at all, he could have an aid do the work for him.

When you read people like me stressing the importance of education so we can all be better stewards of information, this is what we are talking about. We need critical thinking so when people hear a talking head spout off the BS Gingrich just did, we can say, “Wait a minute…”


Obama and Health Care

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How do you heal a wounded party and a shrinking voter base that wanted Hilary all in one swoop. You say this at the end or your speech in Raleigh North Carolina:

“By the way, I’m going to be partnering with Elizabeth Edwards, we’re going to be figuring all this out.”

WOW!

Found via Blog Around the Clock


Obama’s Presidential bid Speech

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I haven’t seen it yet, but plan to watch next chance. If you missed it, here it is below…


Obama and Setting the Record Straight

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So it’s another election year and things are getting pretty muddy in terms of what is being said by who, who did what, who didn’t do what, what their character is, and what they are not doing. Basically candidates will get desperate and say anything to win. Think Bush vs McCain in Republican primaries with push polling and many other despicable tactics. Or Bush vs Kerry in 04 with swiftboat campaigns.

So naturally similar things are going to happen in this election and indeed they already have. Some things have been stated about Obama; some more obviously wrong than others, so let’s clear up the record…

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