Never Take A Poll At Face Value

Polls are tools if you understand them correctly they can give a wealth of insight into an issue. But never take them at face value alone, now what the margin of error means, what the actual questions and answer choices That were used for the poll.
For example, I was once asked to participate in an over the phone poll. I was asked how I thought a certain local politician was doing his job. But rather than being able to say I didn't think he was doing a good job at all, I was only given a choice between a) a good job , or B) a fair job. There was no C) for just plain bad.
Poll questions can also be worded so that they are certain to get the response that the poll taker wants.
Why do they do this? So they can wave a poll in front of you hoping to sway your opinion. Any one in advertising , marketing, and politics knows this, and use it. Some are legit, some are bias, some are just poorly made. You need to know the difference and what they are really telling you.

clipped from rhetorica.net But there’s a bigger problem: the reporting of polling by journalists and bloggers. All too often the reporting fails to accurately describe the margins of error or the questions asked. Without these adequately explained, any report of a poll is pure (and dangerous) nonsense. In a poll with a typical margin of error of 3.5 points, anything within the margin is a tie. Now you have to know what question was asked and how it was asked and to whom it was asked. If you don’t know these things, then you still don’t know what the poll means. But the poll will have meaning. The media (mainstream and otherwise) will give it meaning. And if people act in political ways based on the meaning given, then that’s what the poll means. Get my meaning? Why do the polls disagree so much? And which ones should you buy? It seems to me that journalists should not report on polls unless they understand and present the hidden ingredients.

Public Option Explained in 70 Seconds

Interested in health care reform? Watch the video and ACT as you are moved to act.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

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Protesting Cheney International Center

well he did pay, oops sorry, donate 3.2 million for it.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A decision by the University of Wyoming to name a new center for international students for former Vice President Dick Cheney is drawing criticism from people who say Cheney's support for the Iraq war and harsh interrogation techniques should disqualify him from the distinction. Protesters plan to be there, too. The center is funded in part with $3.2 million the Cheneys donated to the university in several installments while he was vice president. The university's decision to name the center after Cheney, a former Wyoming congressman, prompted a petition that collected more than 150 signatures. The petition said polices of the Bush administration were "very controversial" and the name will affect how people perceive the center. "We feel that by naming it the Cheney International Center, that the programs and UW can't avoid being identified with that ideology and that approach to global politics that the Bush-Cheney administration championed," Pelican said Tuesday.

Families vs Schools on Service Dogs for Autism

Service dogs have long been used by the blind, but training them to help those with autism is relatively new. While there's little research on how these animals affect autistic children, families like Kaleb's say they have seen marked improvement. And the support group Autism Speaks includes a list of dog-training groups among resources on its Web site.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com At issue is whether the dogs are true ‘service’ pets or simply companions CHICAGO - Like seeing-eye dogs for the blind, trained dogs are now being used to help autistic children deal with their disabilities. But some schools want to keep the animals out, and families are fighting back. Two autistic elementary school students recently won court orders in Illinois allowing their dogs to accompany them to school. At issue is whether the dogs are true "service dogs" — essential to managing a disability — or simply companions that provide comfort. School districts say they are not discriminating, just drawing the line to protect the safety and health of other students who may be allergic or scared of dogs. "It's done so much more than we thought it could," said Kaleb's mother, Nichelle Drew. "We want Kaleb to be able to experience more of life," and the dog has helped him do that, she said.

Why is Frozen Meat considered Fresh?

0-26 degrees still sounds frozen to me. caveat emptor my friends.

clipped from wbztv.com When it comes to buying food, we all know that fresh is better. But with meat, do you always know what you are buying? "How can supermarkets advertise "fresh" if it's been frozen?" This might sound like a question that would have a simple answer, but it's not. Even though most of us think of something freezing when it goes below 32 degrees, the federal government uses a different standard when it comes to meat. The Department of Agriculture's guidelines indicate that as long as the internal temperature of the meat stays between 0-26 degrees, it can still be sold as fresh. It's when that temperature drops below zero that it must be sold as frozen. He says there are some clues for consumers. For example, a lot of liquid or blood in the package probably indicates that the meat has been frozen. Sometimes small ice particles are visible. He also says that color can tip you off. It is best if the meat is a vibrant shade of red, and not brown.

Oops! Army accidentally grows Weed

clipped from wbztv.com Army Accidentally Grows Pot In Colo. The Army has made an unusual and unwanted discovery at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal northeast of Commerce City. The Army is in charge of cleaning up the arsenal. Part of the cleanup includes reseeding some areas. When that seed started to grow, marijuana popped up. It isn't commercial grade, but it's still an illegal drug. It's called ditch weed or feral hemp, the kind that grows in the wild in some places. Charlie Scharmin with the U.S. Army is in charge of the cleanup. Needless to say, he was quite surprised when he was told marijuana was growing at the arsenal. Scharmin says they were finishing containment of two large contamination areas at the former chemical weapons production site. He says they layed down rock and clay then put vegetation on top. But it wasn't just any vegetation. "The specification is that we acquire weed-free mulch from the supplier," explains Scharmin. The Army blames the supplier for the snafu

NBC poll: Voters oppose public option on misunderstandings

In other words, voters oppose things they've been told are in the reform bills that are, in fact, not there.

clipped from www.dailykos.com Many of the doubts about the WH plan have to do with misinformation and mistaken ideas. Majorities in the poll believe the plans would give health insurance coverage to illegal immigrants; would lead to a government takeover of the health system; and would use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions — all claims that nonpartisan fact-checkers say are untrue about the legislation that has emerged so far from Congress. Forty-five percent think the reform proposals would allow the government to make decisions about when to stop providing medical care for the elderly. That also is untrue: The provision in the House legislation that critics have seized on — raising the specter of "death panels" or euthanasia — would simply allow Medicare to pay doctors for end-of-life counseling, if the patient wishes. [see Daily Kos Research 2000 poll on these issues] But if the country is cautious about Obama’s health plans Just 21 percent approve of the GOP’s handling of health care

Obama's School speech

Read it all

clipped from www.whitehouse.gov Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School Event But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.  It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

Where's Waldo?

clipped from wbztv.com Fla. Boaters Told To Keep Eye Out For Robot Scientists on Florida's Gulf Coast are trying to find an underwater robot that has mysteriously vanished. The robot from the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota has been missing since Monday. It cost about $100,000. It also was equipped with a detector to find red tide, a toxic algae bloom. That was valued at another $30,000. Scientists aren't sure what happened to the robot, which is nicknamed Waldo. It could have had a leak or malfunction and sunk to the bottom. It also could be on the surface, but its communication system isn't working properly to signal its location. The lab hopes boaters out for the busy Labor Day weekend might spot Waldo.