Update: Mortgage crisis, Iran, Election 2008

Thursday 5/22/08

I was Czar, so I just hung out in the office.  There were a lot of conference calls though.  First, I had to write a short description of all the events our staff would be covering.

Today at Talk Radio News Service

Later, there was a conference call by the Clinton Campaign about how they are trying to get votes counted from Florida and Michigan, even though those states broke party rules by holding early primaries.

Clinton Campaign pushes for Florida and Michigan

Conference Call: Clinton Campaign says Florida and Michigan votes should count (audio)

There was also a conference call about a new poll released by George Washington University that covers national issues that voters are concerned about, and how this plays into their support for various presidential candidates.

New polls gage likely outcome of Election 2008

Conference Call: New polls used to analyze Election 2008 outcomes (audio)

Wednesday 5/21/08

I was Czar in the morning since the one we were supposed to have called in sick.  In the afternoon, I went to an event about how the mortgage crisis is adversely affecting collective neighborhoods and communities.

Foreclosure crisis is leaving neighborhoods in ruin

Kucinich: Neighborhoods are "blameless victims" of mortgage crisis (audio)

Foreclosures "send a message" to neighborhoods (audio)

Subprime lending market has "preyed upon" people who can't afford loans (audio)

Tuesday 5/20/08

In the morning, I videotaped a hearing for our company's new online video site.  In the afternoon, I watched a laptop that was capturing pooled video from another hearing and wrote talking points on it, but didn't have to do audio.

Ozone standards may not be strict enough for public safety

Monday 5/19/08

In the morning, I went to a discussion at the American Enterprise Institution on Iran's current human rights situation under the administration of President Ahmadinejad.

Iran's human rights violations continue under Ahmadinejad

Iranian elections are "non-elections" (audio)

Iranian film depicts American overthrow of Iran's government (audio)

In the afternoon, I went to a book discussion at the Heritage Foundation, where Arthur Brooks spoke about his new book, Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America--and How We Can Get More of It. He basically did studies that led him to the conclusion that people who believe in and practice religion are always happier than those who do not (except in Europe, where only 5-10% attends a place of worship regularly in many countries that still have very high rates of reported happiness). So, happiness linked to religion does appear to be an American phenomenon.

Religious people "much, much happier" than secularists

Author says all religious groups are "much, much happier" than secularists (audio)