Correlations

When I was in graduate school - correlational research was frowned upon...after all - such research did not predict a direction...it only showed what went together...

My Ph.D. thesis was a correlational study...it showed how a specific behavior correlated with different cognitive aspects of 5-year-olds. I'm sure some profs were unhappy with my decision to look at correlations - but the research was presented at a peer meeting and subsequently published - probably to the chagrin of some who said don't do this kind of work.

Over the years, I did other kinds of research but my head still loves correlations and so here I am today still thinking correlationallly

Today's correlational thought is about Iraq...

Has anyone noticed that as we escalated [ Mr. 28 %'s "surge" ] the deaths and violence in Iraq have moved along at a steady pace - i.e. they are correlated...

Yes - it does not say which came first - but is that necessary? to me if two things go together - changing one will change the other- so if we escalate - Iraq violence escalates...If we de-escalate, Iraq violence de-escalates.

Simple? Yes - correlational research is fairly simple - you see that two things go together and you can see how to make them go together in different ways.... Only two variables - so easy - yet so hard for our brilliant Mr. 28% to understand -

At least the profs in grad schools weren't killing anyone with their lack of liking to look at correlations ...Mr. 28% is a killing machine because he refuses to see how things work together - in tandem...or how they correlate...so simple even a simpleton who allegedly went to Business School should be able to see it...

Trent Lott's good idea!

I took a break yesterday and watched some of the "debate" about the no confidence motion.

The person I happened upon was Trent Lott - who was speaking against the idea of moving this motion to a vote - why?

Because we don't have the British Parliamentary system here.

To paraphrase his next words:

What would we have next - the President coming to the floor of the senate to answer questions directly?

Hey - way to go Trent Lott- finally you spoke a great idea! Let's try that...and SOON

We can have real "debates" with emotions and have Mr. 28% come and answer questions directly - without his earpiece or his flacks around to tell him what to say...

Mr. Lott - if you propose this idea - I will loudly support you....

Can mr. 28% go lower?

Will articles like these - and sadly there will be many more - drop his "rating" into the teens?

By Carey GillamMonGillamMon May 7, 3:38 PM ET

A shortage of trucks, helicopters and other equipment -- all sent to the war in Iraq -- has hampered recovery in a U.S. town obliterated by a tornado, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said on Monday.

"There is no doubt at all that this will slow down and hamper the recovery," Sebelius, a Democrat, told Reuters in Kansas where officials said the statewide death toll had risen to 12 on Monday.

"Not having this equipment in place all over the state is a huge handicap," Sebelius said.

Full article HERE

All states are facing shortages in their in guard people power, equipment and money so it can all be used to fund king george's madness. Some states have few fire personnel on hand as many are in the guard. Ditto local police forces.

From McClatchy
Guard faces shortages in dealing with natural disasters

By Nancy A. Youssef
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - With much of their equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan, state National Guards face profound shortages in responding to natural disasters, particularly as they get ready for the hurricane season, which begins June 1.

The Guard has been shipping gear to hurricane-prone states in an effort to ease concerns, but a large disaster affecting several states would tax the Guard's ability to respond, according to National Guard officials and government reports. Some deficiencies aren't correctable. The Texas National Guard's helicopters, for example, are in Iraq and can't be replaced easily...

That problem is likely to worsen in the event of a major hurricane, which generally affects a much larger area than a tornado does. Guard officials in hurricane-prone states say they're ready, but only if they can get help from other states. That will slow critical response times, emergency managers say....

Guard and other government agencies have been warning of the problem for months.

"Most of the units in the Army and Air National Guard are under-equipped for the jobs and the missions that they have to perform" domestically, Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard bureau, told Congress last month. "Can we do the job? Yes, we can. But the lack of equipment (means it takes) longer to do that job, and lost time translates into lost lives, and those lost lives are American lives."

Full article HERE


All for what? and please - if you are a right winger reading this - don't tell me it's because we don't want "them" to follow "us" here. That's pure bullshit. King George has damaged this country and created more terrorism in the world than anyone we can remember....

My letter to Nancy Pelosi

I am not a constituent but I am a USA citizen and one who loves that a woman is the speaker.

I am also the thankful mother of a son who choose to spend time in the military and is now out and safe.

I am a long time war protester and am asking you to bring our children home now - note I do not call them "troops."
They are all someone's children.

DO NOT give in to mr. 28%. He is counting on the Democrats to cave and obey him for fear of being called anti-troop.

The American public is solidly against this occupation and wants our children home. If the Iraqi "politicians" can take a two month vacation - why not allow our children to also come home for two months. Sounds like a fair trade to me.

Respectfully,

Lynn Dorman, Ph.D.

If you want to send her a letter of your own - here is the email address: AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov