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Kick Assiest Blog
Friday, 12 January 2007
NYC Radio Ratings War: Rush Limbaugh got 260% higher numbers than libtard Al Franken
Mood:
 cheeky
Topic: Lib Loser Stories
 New York City Radio Ratings, WOR, WABC
BIG APPLE SHOWDOWN Winners, Losers In NYC Ratings War  With New York City's all- important Fall 2006 Arbitron ratings data now released, some radio talkers are celebrating victories, while others are likely crying in their martinis (or whatever it is talk hosts drink these days).
Thanks to our fantastic multitude of sources, your Radio Equalizer has obtained the data and here are some highlights: 
↓  Nobody's even coming close to the noon- 6pm double- feature of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on WABC. In fact, both were up slightly in the key 25-54 demographic, crushing competition from WOR and Air America Radio.
The ongoing war between WOR's Michael Savage and WABC's Mark Levin has the latter winning this round by a strong margin, though Savage is facing longer odds on a weak station. WOR's already flimsy programming lineup plunged to new depths this time, with Savage's program producing the only strong results. Sean Hannity is beating WOR's Ellis Henican and Lynne White show by a factor of 14!  Mornings on WOR, the Station That Refuses To Succeed, are also in horrible shape, dropping a further 17% to a level so low, it barely registers in the ratings. WOR truly defines failure in radio broadcasting, falling another 33% overall in the main 25-54 listener demographic.
While crushing WOR, WABC is also very soft in morning drive, with Curtis & Kuby suffering another big drop: down 19% in the key demo. They represent WABC's weakest link by far. We wonder if changes are on the way in this slot.  Now heard on WWRL, what's left of Air America Radio found relative share strength only during Al Franken's noon-3 shift (though Rush crushed him with numbers 260% higher) and Rachel Maddow's new night shift. She may prove to be a better evening host than morning drive personality.
Will these results bring changes to New York City's talk radio landscape? As Big Apple talk radio has been troubled for a long time, we sure hope so. It's getting pretty boring out there. Technorati tags: talk radio new york city air america wabc wor wwrl liberal talk radio sean hannity rush limbaugh al franken rachel maddow The Radio Equalizer ~ Brian Maloney ** New York City Radio Ratings, WOR, WABC
Posted by yaahoo_
at 5:53 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 12 January 2007 6:14 PM EST
Deficit Falls to Lowest Level in 4 Years
Mood:
 bright
Now Playing: BUSH'S FAULT
Topic: News
Deficit Falls to Lowest Level in 4 Years   WASHINGTON -- The federal deficit has improved significantly in the first three months of the new budget year, helped by a continued surge in tax revenues.
In its monthly budget report, the Treasury Department said Friday that the deficit from October through December totaled $80.4 billion, the smallest imbalance for the first three months of a budget year since The budget year ends Sept. 30. Tax collections are running 8.2 percent higher than a year ago while government spending is up by just 0.7 percent from a year ago. Last year's spending totals were boosted by significant payments to help the victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes.  The Treasury said for December, the government actually ran a surplus of $44.5 billion, the largest surplus ever recorded in December and a gain that reflected a big jump in quarterly corporate tax payments.
The $80.4 billion deficit for the first three months of the current budget year was down 32.6 percent from the imbalance for the same period a year ago of $119.4 billion. For the year, analysts are still forecasting that the deficit will worsen from last year's total of $248.2 billion, which had been the lowest in four years. The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting that the deficit for the 2007 budget year will rise to $286 billion, an increase of 15.2 percent from last year, but that figure could be lowered when the CBO releases its revised estimate later this month.  The Bush administration is currently even more pessimistic, predicting a deficit for 2007 of $339.2 billion, but that figure will also be revised when the administration releases its new budget request to Congress on Feb. 5.
Bush, who took office while the country was running record surpluses, saw the deficit hit an all-time high in dollar terms of $413 billion in 2004. President Bush has said his new budget will outline a path to eliminate the deficit completely by 2012. For the first three months of the current budget year, revenues total $573.5 billion, an increase of 8.2 percent from tax collections in the same period a year ago. Outlays totaled $653.9 billion, up 0.7 percent from a year ago. On the Net: Federal budget Breitbart.com ~ Associated Press - Martin Crutsinger ** Deficit Falls to Lowest Level in 4 Years
Posted by yaahoo_
at 4:23 PM EST
Lawyer Arrested for Kissing Employee, ''peck on the cheek''
Mood:
 silly
Topic: Yahoo Chat Stuff
Lawyer Arrested for Kissing Employee    WATERBURY, Conn. -- A criminal defense attorney has been arrested on a disorderly conduct charge involving kissing as a crime.
Ralph Crozier, 55, of Southbury was arrested Thursday for kissing a female judicial marshal at Waterbury Superior Court on Dec. 22. Crozier said state police investigators told him the marshal did not invite him to kiss her, which was why criminal charges were filed.  "This is the biggest baloney I've ever  seen in my life," Crozier said Thursday. "How many tens of thousands of people in Connecticut wished their co-workers and friends 'Merry Christmas' the day before Christmas?" The incident was captured on security video. Crozier said the video will prove he meant nothing sexual by the kiss, which he described as a peck on the cheek. He says the incident is an example of political correctness run amok. "It was a Christmas greeting. I had no intention to annoy or harass anybody," Crozier said. "Every one of us knew we were on camera. This was a peck on the cheek. That was the extent. There was nothing here that was weird or sexual." The arrest warrant affidavit is sealed until Jan. 24, when Crozier is scheduled to be arraigned at the Waterbury courthouse. He is free on a $10,000 bond. Information from: Republican-American Beitbart.com ~ AP ** Lawyer Arrested for Kissing Employee  I'm betting it all comes down to money or politics. Sounds like this lady needs a full body condom. Anything any person of responsibility does can and will be used against him in a court of lawlessness.
Posted by yaahoo_
at 3:23 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 12 January 2007 3:57 PM EST
Taliban invaders ambushed in the Afghanistan/Pakistan mountains, up to 150 insurgents killed
Mood:
 happy
Topic: News
 Taliban invaders ambushed in the mountains
 Nato Forces in Afghanistan claimed yesterday to have thwarted a major Taliban border incursion from Pakistan by killing up to 150 insurgents in a night-time operation.
 As part of what was thought to be a precursor to a Taliban spring offensive, Nato officials said that two columns totalling some 200 insurgents crossed into the Afghan border province of Paktika on Wednesday night.
Pakistani forces were informed of the movement of Taliban fighters and the Pakistani military claimed that it bombed and destroyed trucks used by the Taliban on its side of the border. If so, it was the first military action by the Pakistani military since the government signed a peace deal with militants last year. US military commanders say border incursions have increased threefold since the deal. The fighting took place as the British commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen David Richards, visited the Pakistani capital to co-ordinate military strategy between Nato, Afghan and Pakistani forces. Pakistan has come under criticism from Nato commanders for not doing enough to stem Taliban "infiltration". Pakistan denies the charge. The group of Taliban fighters had assembled in the mountainous terrain of North Waziristan and were seen by American reconnaissance units as they dismounted from lorries before filing over the border at two points. As they entered Bermal district on the Afghan side of the border at 7pm they were attacked by American Apache assault helicopters firing air-to-surface missiles and 30mm machinegun rounds. Attack aircraft then dropped a mixture of 500 to 1,000lb bombs on the two groups. The co-ordinated air and ground strikes just 1.2 miles inside Afghan territory were reported to have all but annihilated the Taliban force. The Afghan army reported that the Taliban dead, their weapons and ammunition littered the site of the fighting with blood trails apparently showing where wounded men were carried back towards the Pakistan border. A Nato spokesman said there were no reports of civilian casualties. A purported spokesman for the Taliban, Mohammad Hanif, denied that any Taliban were involved in the fighting and claimed all those killed were civilians. The fighting, although not continuous, lasted for nine hours as Apache aircraft tracked the disintegrating columns as fighters fled into the mountainous terrain. "We think that we killed at least 130 fighters from what we have been able to ascertain through visual recognition," said Lt Col Paul Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for US forces in Kabul. "We are very confident we did heavy damage on these two columns," he added.  Col Fitzpatrick said there were several US bases and outposts within walking distance of the Taliban fighters.
"It was a bold attack which they did not have the opportunity to pull off," he said. Pressure has been mounting on Pakistan to do more to tackle the cross-border movement of insurgents. As Pakistan claimed to have destroyed the lorries used by the Taliban on its side of the border, the US assistant secretary of state, Richard Boucher, continued his policy of gentle pressure on Islamabad's military regime. "Pakistan is a very important ally in the fight against terrorism," he said. "There are successes on both sides of the border, there are strong commitments on both sides of the border to deal with extremism... there are also challenges on both sides of the border. "It is clear to me none of us will be safe unless we deal with both sides of the border... we are all in this together."  American and Nato officials maintain that Pakistan's president, Gen Pervez Musharraf, cannot be pushed too hard to crack down on Islamic radicals for fear of provoking a violent backlash. Gen Richards said: "Today in Afghanistan the number of incidents have declined dramatically from the highs of the last summer. The reduction is to a degree the result of Pakistan army activity and we are the beneficiaries of that."
But he added that the 1,553 miles of rugged frontier still posed a big challenge. The bloodshed was the result of violence of unprecedented severity for Afghanistan's traditionally quiet winter months. It is thought to be the most intense fighting since the end of Operation Medusa, a major Nato offensive in the first half of September against Taliban forces in the southern province of Kandahar in which Nato claimed to have killed as many as 500 insurgents.  Yesterday's fighting contrasts with previous years when Taliban activity greatly reduced during the winter months as militants reorganised and rearmed ahead of the launch of their traditional spring offensive.
Nato commanders are braced for a major escalation in Taliban activity across the south of the country this spring with reports that the Taliban has new stockpiles of weapons and ammunition prepared along the border and is fired with renewed confidence after a year that saw the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan since 2001, and as many as 4,000 people killed, many of them Taliban fighters. Uk Telegraph ~ Isambard Wilkinson, Tom Coghlan ** Taliban invaders ambushed in the mountains
Posted by yaahoo_
at 2:40 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 12 January 2007 2:51 PM EST
Pelosi's Hypocrisy On Wage Bill -- San Francisco American Somoa, Starkist Tuna exempt from federal minimum-wage laws
Mood:
 smelly
Now Playing: LIBTARD ''CULTURE OF CORRUPTION'' ALERT
Topic: Lib Loser Stories
GOP hits Pelosi's 'hypocrisy' on wage bill  House Republicans yesterday declared "something fishy" about the major tuna company in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district being exempted from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved this week.
"I am shocked," said Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican and his party's chief deputy whip, noting that Mrs. Pelosi campaigned heavily on promises of honest government. "Now we find out that she is exempting hometown companies from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats." On Wednesday, the House voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour. The bill also extends for the first time the federal minimum wage to the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. However, it exempts American Samoa, another Pacific island territory that would become the only U.S. territory not subject to federal minimum-wage laws. One of the biggest opponents of the federal minimum wage in Samoa is StarKist Tuna, which owns one of the two packing plants that together employ more than 5,000 Samoans, or nearly 75 percent of the island's work force. StarKist's parent company, Del Monte Corp., has headquarters in San Francisco, which is represented by Mrs. Pelosi. The other plant belongs to California-based Chicken of the Sea. "There's something fishy going on here," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican. During the House debate yesterday on stem-cell research, Mr. McHenry raised a parliamentary inquiry as to whether an amendment could be offered that would exempt American  Samoa from stem-cell research, "just as it was for the minimum-wage bill." A clearly perturbed Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who was presiding, cut off Mr. McHenry and shouted, "No, it would not be." "So, the chair is saying I may not offer an amendment exempting American Samoa?" Mr. McHenry pressed. "The gentleman is making a speech and will sustain," Mr. Frank shouted as he slammed his large wooden gavel against the rostrum. Some Republicans who voted in favor of the minimum-wage bill were particularly irritated to learn yesterday -- after their vote -- that the legislation did not include American Samoa. "I was troubled to learn of this exemption," said Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois Republican. "My intention was to raise the minimum wage for everyone. We shouldn't permit any special favors or exemptions that are not widely discussed in Congress. This is the problem with rushing legislation
through without full debate." A spokeswoman for Mrs. Pelosi said Wednesday that the speaker has not been lobbied in any way by StarKist or Del Monte. Click-2-Listen Washington Times ~ Charles Hurt ** GOP hits Pelosi's 'hypocrisy' on wage bill  Now y'all give Puglosi a break. I'm sure that Charlie The Tuna is extremely intimidating and confrontational, the bastard.
"NO BLOOD FOR BIG TUNA" "TOO BIG TUNA SAMOANS ARE 2ND CLASS CITIZENS" "SORRY CHARLIE, NO MINIMUM WAGE FOR YOU!"
"Pelosi lied, Samoans died!" Got to get those slogans going.
Barney "My Boy Lollipop" Frank had a hissy-fit... It sure didn't take long for the libtard Demented-crats to give us fodder. The corruption and hypocrisy they've already displayed for all, so soon into their reign, is breathtaking. Gonna be an interesting few years. I just hope that the Reps finally grow the cajones to call 'em on it, loudly and often.
Posted by yaahoo_
at 1:37 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 12 January 2007 7:15 PM EST
Staff sergeant relieved of duties after posing for Playboy
Mood:
 chatty
Topic: Yahoo Chat Stuff
Staff sergeant relieved of duties after posing for Playboy  SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- An Air Force staff sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been relieved of her duties while the military investigates, officials said Thursday.
In February's issue, hitting newsstands this week, Michelle Manhart is photographed in uniform yelling and holding weapons under the headline "Tough Love." The following pages show her partially clothed, wearing her dog tags while working out, as well as completely nude. "This staff sergeant's alleged action does not meet the high standards we expect of our airmen, nor does it comply with the Air Force's core values of integrity, service before self, and excellence in all we do," Oscar Balladares, spokesman for Lackland Air Force Base, said in a statement.  Manhart told Playboy that she considers herself as standing up for her rights.
"Of what I did, nothing is wrong, so I didn't anticipate anything, of course," Manhart, 30, told The Associated Press. "I didn't do anything wrong, so I didn't think it would be a major issue." Manhart, who is married with two children, joined the Air Force in 1994, spending time in Kuwait in 2002. She trains airmen at Lackland.
• • • • • Michelle Manhart Pictures ----- Michelle Manhart MySpace Pictures CNN.com ~ Associated Press ** Staff sergeant relieved of duties after posing for Playboy
Posted by yaahoo_
at 12:31 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 12 January 2007 12:55 PM EST
Thursday, 11 January 2007
U.S. warns about Canadian spy coins
Mood:
 surprised
Topic: Yahoo Chat Stuff
U.S. warns about Canadian spy coins  WASHINGTON -- Money talks, but can it also follow your movements?
In a U.S. government warning high on the creepiness scale, the Defense Department cautioned its American contractors over what it described as a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside. The government said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada. Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins. The U.S. report doesn't suggest who might be tracking American defense contractors or why. It also doesn't describe how the Pentagon discovered the ruse, how the transmitters might function or even which Canadian currency contained them. Further details were secret, according to the U.S. Defense Security Service, which issued the warning to the Pentagon's classified contractors. The government insists the incidents happened, and the risk was genuine.  "What's in the report is true," said Martha Deutscher, a spokeswoman for the security service. "This is indeed a sanitized version, which leaves a lot of questions."
Top suspects, according to outside experts: China, Russia or even France -- all said to actively run espionage operations inside Canada with enough sophistication to produce such technology. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said it knew nothing about the coins. "This issue has just come to our attention," CSIS spokeswoman Barbara Campion said. "At this point, we don't know of any basis for these claims." She said Canada's intelligence service works closely with its U.S. counterparts and will seek more information if necessary.  Experts were astonished about the disclosure and the novel tracking technique, but they rejected suggestions Canada's government might be spying on American contractors. The intelligence services of the two countries are extraordinarily close and routinely share sensitive secrets.
"It would seem unthinkable," said David Harris, former chief of strategic planning for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "I wouldn't expect to see any offensive operation against the Americans." Harris said likely candidates include foreign spies who targeted Americans abroad or businesses engaged in corporate espionage. "There are certainly a lot of mysterious aspects to this," Harris said. Experts said such tiny transmitters would almost certainly have limited range to communicate with sensors no more than a few feet away, such as ones hidden inside a doorway. The metal in the coins also could interfere with any signals emitted. "I'm not aware of any (transmitter) that would fit inside a coin and broadcast for kilometers," said Katherine Albrecht, an activist who believes such technology carries serious privacy risks. "Whoever did this obviously has access to some pretty advanced technology." Experts said hiding tracking technology inside coins is fraught with risks because the spy's target might inadvertently give away the coin or spend it buying coffee or a newspaper. They agreed, however, that a coin with a hidden tracking device might not arouse suspicion if it were discovered in a pocket or briefcase. "It wouldn't seem to be the best place to put something like that; you'd want to put it in something that wouldn't be left behind or spent," said Jeff Richelson, a researcher and author of books about the CIA and its gadgets. "It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense." Canada's largest coins include its $2 "Toonie," which is more than 1-inch across and thick enough to hide a tiny transmitter. The CIA has acknowledged its own spies have used hollow, U.S. silver-dollar coins to hide messages and film. The government's 29-page report was filled with other espionage warnings. It described unrelated hacker attacks, eavesdropping with miniature pen recorders and the case of a female foreign spy who seduced her American boyfriend to steal his computer passwords. In another case, a film processing company called the FBI after it developed pictures for a contractor that contained classified images of U.S. satellites and their blueprints. The photo was taken from an adjoining office window. On the Web: CIA hollow coin Yahoo News ~ Associated Press - Ted Bridis ** U.S. warns about Canadian spy coins Sounds like something on "24". Sounds alot worse than the worthless AAFES gift certificate 'coins' made of cardboard (called Pogs) they give you as change over there.
Posted by yaahoo_
at 3:04 PM EST
Updated: Thursday, 11 January 2007 3:48 PM EST
Just passing, the best comet for 32 years
Mood:
 special
Topic: Odd Stuff
Just passing, the best comet for 32 years 
This is the spectacular view of the brightest comet for 32 years. And suitably for a phenomenon once seen as a portent of doom, it was spotted over World's End.  Comet McNaught, which is set to shine brighter than the planet Venus this weekend, was caught on camera at sunset when it is at its best.
The newly discovered comet, first observed in Australia last August, is three times more dazzling than Hale-Bopp in 1997. It is officially the brightest since Comet West in 1975. Tomorrow the star will sweep within 15.8 million miles of the sun and continue glowing until Monday. It is visible to the right of Venus soon after sunset and also in the dawn sky to the south-east. "Make an effort even if the weather prospects look poor," said Nick James of the British Astronomical Association. "You will need a clear western horizon and should start looking as soon as the sun sets. The comet should be obvious and the tail will be pointing almost straight up from the horizon." Scotsman Robert McNaught discovered the comet - his 31st - at Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales. Its orbit is bringing it closer to the sun than Mercury. Reader comments -- UK Daily Mail ** Just passing, the best comet for 32 years
Posted by yaahoo_
at 12:39 PM EST
Kelly Osbourne Would Bare All for Playboy, insist editors touch her up to make her look better
Mood:
silly
Topic: Funny Stuff
 Kelly Osbourne Would Bare All for Playboy
Kelly Osbourne wants to pose nude in Playboy magazine. The rock heiress is prepared to bare absolutely everything for a centerfold in the men's publication - but would insist editors touch her up to make her look better. She says, "I'd go fully nude, but I'd have to have some airbrushing on my tits." Meanwhile, she blames her privileged lifestyle for her substance abuse and depression because luxury living brings about extreme boredom.The 22-year-old has successfully overcome her demons following several spells in rehab - but is always on the lookout for the signs of a relapse.  She says, "It's so easy for me to fall back into depression. I think it comes with having money. I don't have to work. I could be sitting bored and depressed at home with a bag on my head."
Kelly Osbourne pictures Starpulse News Blog ** Kelly Osbourne Would Bare All for Playboy <shudder...> No thanks, Kelly. The edit process to make her look better could take years, maybe they can airbrush a new face on her while they are at it. Hef: Maybe you could move the camera back to help make her look better? Photographer: How far? Hef: How about Cleveland?
Posted by yaahoo_
at 12:01 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, 11 January 2007 4:04 PM EST
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
Kids kicked off a bus for speaking English
Mood:
 irritated
Now Playing: LIBTARD EDUCATION ALERT
Topic: Lib Loser Stories
Kids kicked off a bus for speaking English  Imagine sending your kids off to school, but when they get to the bus they are told they can't get on because they speak English.
That's right, English. It happened to a few children in St. Paul and now the school district is apologizing.  Rachel Armstrong sent her kids to pick up the bus as usual Monday, but after the driver let the kids on, he told them he would not pick them up again. He even said he wouldn't take them home that afternoon.
Armstrong left work early Tuesday, forced to pick up her kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School. Her twin girls, 10, and her son, 8, were kicked off their regular school bus. They were told by the bus driver the route is for non-English speaking students only.  "I was furious. I was at work and I was just mad." Armstrong said. "I felt like we were being discriminated because we speak English. Just because they speak English, they can't ride the school bus. I mean, this is America, right?"
Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday. However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English. The academies all have separate bus routes to keep its students together. The district decided to enforce the separate routes beginning Monday, but it did not tell the Armstrong family. "It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake. The kids should have gotten home that day," Dayna Kennedy, public relations representative.  The district also discovered the Armstrongs no longer live in the Phalen Lake School boundary because they moved last year.
So even thought the district apologized, if they want to still go to Phalen, they are going to have to get their own ride. KSTP.com ~ ABC 5 News - Minneapolis/St. Paul **
Kids kicked off a bus for speaking English I could understand if this were private busses to private schools, but this is public busses to public schools. Can you say "separate but equal"? And wasn't that declared unconstitutional by the Supremes, once upon a when? You can't get more outrageous and insane than this crap. And notice the "American Civil Liberties Union" is nowhere to be found.
Posted by yaahoo_
at 7:56 AM EST
Updated: Wednesday, 10 January 2007 8:26 AM EST
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With New York City's all- important Fall 2006 Arbitron ratings data now released, some radio talkers are celebrating victories, while others are likely crying in their martinis (or whatever it is talk hosts drink these days).
