The HUB

Segment 1

HILLARY’S THEME SONG
Hillary Clinton's efforts to generate some Internet buzz by asking people to help her choose a campaign song were so successful she has opted for round two. She first appealed to Web users with 10 songs, and after getting more than 130,000 votes the campaign has narrowed it down to another 10 -- the top vote-getters and five write-ins.
“Hillary’s Hits” http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap, May 2007
Notably absent from the list are “Witchy Women” by the Eagles, Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back” or that party favorite, “Devil With A Blue Dress On.” Since Fleetwood Mac provided the theme for Clinton/Gore why not look to that group for a follow up. Their song “Lies” is perfect!

WHORE HOUSES FOR HILLARY
First, we learned that adult movie star Jenna Jameson supports Sen. Hillary Clinton’s run for president of the United States. Now, we learn that another Taboo Titleholder backs the New York senator’s White House ambitions: Deborah Jeane Palfrey, aka, the “D.C. Madam.”
“DC Madam for Hillary!”, http://www.examiner.com/blogs, May 23, 2007
Should the endorsement of a prostitute really be a part of the political landscape? What does it say about the candidate when they receive endorsements from seedy characters? Where is the statement from the Clinton camp distancing them from this?

Segment 1

PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I HAVE TB
"I'm very sorry for any grief or pain that I have caused anyone," TB patient Andrew Speaker said from his isolation room in the National Jewish Hospital in Denver. Speaker, a 31-year-old lawyer from Atlanta, learned he had TB in January. Doctors say they told Speaker not to travel. Speaker said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations advised him against travel but didn't stop him. Speaker said after the CDC called him in Rome and told him to cancel his commercial fight plans, it didn't offer him any help. Speaker says it would have cost $100,000 to fly back on a noncommercial airline.
“Andrew Speaker Says He Has Proof…” http://abcnews.go.com, June 1, 2007“Diane Sawyer Interviews Andrew Speaker, TB Patient in Isolation” http://abcnews.go.com, May 31, 2007
If he’s known about this since January, who else in our community has he come in contact with? And should we blame ourselves and feel guilty for even asking that question? And why is no one raising questions about the CDC and its precautionary protocols?

ECCLESIASTICAL SPRAWL
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church has teamed up with WellStar Health Systems to develop both a church and medical facility as well as retail buildings on a 65 acre parcel on US 41 near Awtrey Church Road in northwest Cobb. To help convince Cobb County public officials this is the right use for that land, Church member have sent over 6,000 hand written letters encouraging support for the project.
“Church Building Plan Pushed with Power of the Pen” http://www.ajc.com, May 31, 2007
Is it a good idea for a church to partner with a non-church entity to help promote its building project? Will the non-profit tax breaks a church receives from the county be funneled to the hospital and the for-profit retail locations?

Segment 1

CAMERA PHONE FALLOUT
Several hospitals in Georgia are outlawing camera phones in the hospital based on privacy violations. Is this technology becoming too encroaching?

PROFESSIONAL WEB NETWORKING PARTIES
Web 2.0 has a new class of services – sites designed specifically to help you manage your career, do your job better and help you collect colleagues like water in a bucket. LinkIn is one such site that adds 120,000 members a week and is now up to 10 million totals. Jigsaw users have compiled over 5 million business contacts.
“It’s Not Just Who You Know”, Fast Company, May, 2007
Are these weak-tie websites having a negative effect on business? Do they give you a false sense of security as far as having a lot of contacts that really have no depth of relationship attached? Is this super-networking doing more harm than good? Which is better for business – a few good contacts or an army of loosely connected associates?

Segment 1

GAS HOGS
Not a day goes by, especially in the summer, when we aren’t all complaining about high gas prices. We suffer through $3 gasoline and threaten to cut back, threaten to buy hybrid, shell out big bucks and drive great distances to attend concerts against global warming. Be glad you don’t live in London ($6.65 currently – and you wonder why Harry Potter drives a broomstick?) But despite struggling supplies, U.S. markets are asking to siphon off more. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll says it would take $4.38-per-gallon gas to make us cut back.
“Driving Prices Hirer” US News & World Report, pp 54, June 4, 2007
Are we not just a bit disingenuous as Americans with our gas gouging hysteria? Why aren’t we red-faced with our hypocrisy? What would it take, aside from $4.38 cents to get us to move from WANTING to cut back to ACTUALLY cutting back? Are we really in as dire straits as some would have us think?

COOL OFF THE GLOBAL WARMING DEBATE
PETA now has El Presidente Bush raising his salad fork to stop global warming. Turns out eliminating stockyards is better for fixing our Planet Griddle than buying that Prius. (Which might have played a part in convincing GM to ease off the global warming rhetoric when they found out they could pass the blame off on Bessie Angus). Anyway, not to worry, a group of scientists in Portland, Oregon, have come up with a top 10 list for stopping global warming…just before they went off to recess from their 4th grade classroom.
“Washington Whispers”, U.S. News and World Report, pp. 10, June 18, 2007
“Portland Press Herald”, Portland Press Herald, June 14, 2007
Should El Presidente Bush go all veggie for state dinner parties to make a point? Could it garner some PETA money for other initiatives like, say, a border fence? GM joined the pollution-busting U.S. Climate Action Partnership with the goal of cutting green-houses gases (and not stepping in cow patties). Then they gave out carbon indulgence coupons at the dinner for the environmentally “despondent” Competitive Enterprise Institute. Are they being hypocritical or just having fun at the hyper-eco-priest’s expense? What would you say to the Portland science class posse? How about their teacher?

Segment 1

MONKEY SEE. MONKEY DO.
Scientists at Emory’s, Yerkes National Primate Research Center say they've shown for the first time that the local customs that define human cultures also exist in the world of chimpanzees. And that means that humans aren't the only animals with culture, said Frans de Waal, a noted Emory University primatologist and one of the authors of the study published this month in Current Biology.
“Chimps learn 'traditions' in research breakthrough” AJC, June 18, 2007
Is discovering animal behaviors that we once thought were only human behaviors making the animals more human or are we discovering our “civilized’ behaviors are really animalistic? Does “keeping up with the Jones’” make the Chimps more human or does it make humans more primitive?

THOU SHALT USE A TURN SIGNAL
The Vatican recently took a break from strictly theological matters to issue its own rules of the road, a compendium of do's and don'ts on the moral aspects of driving and motoring. A 36-page document called "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" contains 10 Commandments covering everything from road rage, respecting pedestrians, keeping a car in good shape and avoiding rude gestures while behind the wheel.
“Vatican issues "10 Commandments" for good motorists”, Reuters.com, Tuesday, June 19, 2007
How about thou shalt use a turn signal? Thou shalt not use a cell phone while driving? Or Thou shalt have car insurance you undocumented alien! Has traffic really gotten so bad that it requires ecclesiastical intervention?