Alabama Gives Day

Alabama Gives Day There are non-profits who depend on you, and today is an opportunity to show them you do care.

Walking and Biking (NOT!)

Q. Which U.S. State has the lowest percentage of folks who walk to work?
A. Alabama.
Q. Which U.S. State has the lowest percentage of folks who ride a bike to work?
A. Alabama
Q. Which U.S. State has the highest obesity rate?
A. Alabama.

Do I see a trend here?

     The new report from a walking and biking group also shows there is more biking and walking in rural America, and with Alabama being such a rural state, you would think....
     For all I know the walking and biking group is funded by bike and walking shoe manufacturers, but so what!
     The enemy really is us.

Something else to worry about!

     U.S. News & World Report includes a story that most of the U.S. States have now reported a new infection that is resistant to antibiotics...and has a mortaltiy rate of 40%+.
     Most in danger: people with compromised immune systems. And yes, YOUR state is probably on the list. Here' a map.

Recommended Reading

     The Wall Street Journal has a story that tries to explain the 2012 Teenagers Mind...a much changed entity in recent years, apparently, for some very complex reasons.

Take with one hand, reject with the other.

     This liberal diagram purports to show how many Red States get back more in Federal tax dollars than they send to Washington. I don't know about the other states on the list, but Alabama has long been on the receiving end of Big Government money, always getting back more than was sent.
     A good investment you might call it.
     But The Alabama Congressional Delegation is in the front lines of  fighting to reduce that Federal spending! Just who are they working for, anyway?

MMMM # 184 -- The Candidates & The Media!

     Newt and Mitt aren't running against each other. They're running against the media!
     Newt says the audiences at debates should have the right to take part in the debates. He objected when NBC's Brian Williams dared to tell the audience to "hold its applause".
     Previously, he lambasted a moderator for asking him--HIM!--a first question about his "open marriage" request of wife #2 while he was dating the woman who would become wife #3.
     This is all rather textbook politicking, and rather tiring, frankly. The fact that voters allow candidates to make the media the enemy makes me think of herds of votersheep, ready to bleat their approval of any attack against the evil reporters.
     This past weekend, the media fired back! Sorta. NBC sent a letter to the Romney camp objecting to a new campaign ad that is composed almost entirely of material from one of their newscasts. It was a story about Newt being reprimanded by a Congressional Committee. No immediate reaction from the campaign, but that's not a new issue either and the campaigns know it. Broadcast material is copyrighted, and it can't be used without permission.
     Alabama Public Television had a similar run-in during the 1990 Paul Hubbard Campaign for Governor. Video of Guy Hunt praising the AEA chief in a For The Record interview was used in a campaign ad. The campaign refused to remove the ad and actually threatened legal action against APT if they continued to try to have it pulled!
     In the end,  I think it was so close to the election date that the issue died with Hubbard's campaign.

[UPDATE: Gingrich says he will not take part in any debate in which the media moderates it. Of course he has just lost Florida tonight 1-31-12, so perhaps that won't be a problem for him?]

(The Monday Morning Media Memo is a regular feature of this website.)