The economy. The burning issue in tonight's first presidential debate ahead of this November's election. For Mitt Romney to beat Obama in the debate is to show to his supporters and people on the fence is to "paint a compelling picture of a better economic future and why he can lead us there and President Obama can't," GOP pollster Whit Ayres told CNN. But Romney's major test may be to stand beside the current president and look and sound like a "credible alternative," to sound like a President. Obama advisers are worried that the president is too smug, dismissive and short regarding how his economic policies have been going over during his first term. So the key for him seems to be indicating how the next four years would be different without adding any fuel to Romney's economic fire.
--
Getting bullied into taking the job hopefully doesn't mean you will bullied at the job… right? Justin Trudeau has dove headfirst into the Liberal Party leadership on Tuesday. I'm assuming his surname alone is enough to get him to be the Liberal leader, particularly for a party that basically had their asses handed to them after the 2011 election. We all expected this as an inevitability, but maybe a touch too soon considering he is four years into his political career, and with all due respect, is not experienced enough to lead a party or a nation. The community hall was packed (well beyond its 500 person capacity) in Trudeau's riding of Papineau to hear the party's rockstar announce his candidacy. A much more subdued Trudeau told supporters "I said to the Liberals after the last election that we need to get past this idea that a simple leadership change could fix our problems. I believe that still. My candidacy may shine a few extra lights upon us. It may put some people in the bleachers. But what we have to go with this opportunity is up to us - all of us." Trudeau has been accused since making the jump from school teacher to politics, that he is a man of more flash than substance. Trudeau dismissed his past criticisms by noting "it is time for us, for this generation of Canadians, to put away childish things. More, it is time for all of us to come together and get down to the very serious, very adult business of building a better country." Considering how influential, brilliant and downright cool his father was, I have no doubts that in time Justin could make a great PM and party leader. But is he being brought along too fast? At least Ben Mulroney isn't running.
--
Apparently, the iPhone 5 has been taking pictures with purple hues on them. If there is a strong light source, like say, the sun, the resulting picture is purple. Apple claims that is the nature of the camera if such a light source is in the photo. Online geek forum over at Anandtech have over 180 comments complaining about the purple hue. "I have take 20,000+ photos on my 4S, not once had this happen." This issue along with the debacle in the maps (it will be better soon.. don't worry. geez) proves that no launch is without its troubles, no matter how awesome the device. Remember when the iPhone 4 came out and if your finger was on the bottom right corner when you held it up to your ear the volume became low or just dropped calls all together? In other Apple news, the iPad Mini has went into mass production and although it hasn't officially been announced it is said to have a 7.85" screen and its lower price point is set to compete with the Google Nexus 7, the Kindle Fire and the Nook HD tablet computers. Analysts figure October 17 as the announcement date (there's analysts working on that?) with a release shortly thereafter.
--
In a semi-Apple related story, Edwin Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation predicted an iPhone like device in 1970. Land was an American inventor and scientist who invented the Polaroid camera which made it possible for a photograph to be developed in under 60 seconds. The cameras first went on sale in 1948. Polaroid's first major success was in 1965's "Swinger" model, the first inexpensive instant camera which retailed at $19.95. His greatest triumph was the Polaroid SX-70, the classic Polaroid camera with the film coming out of the front released in 1972. Edwin Land was also the showman type; the annual Polaroid meeting was more like a revue than a meeting of suits, with him getting up on stage showing off new Polaroid devices making everyone single person in the audience want one. In short film he made for employees, he outlined what he felt the future of photography was. In what must have seemed like something out of a Star Trek episode, Land described a device that was "something like a telephone, something you can use all day long, whenever an occasion arises in which you cannot trust your memory… you'd use it as often as you pencil or your eyeglasses." He also mentioned that cameras would be much smaller and that you'd be able to share picture instantly. Link to video HERE! And for S&G's here the first "Swinger" commercial from 1965:
--
 |
| Total Recall |
What is going on with food these days? Sometimes I'm glad to not eat meat. Canada is in the midst of the biggest beef recall in Canadian history following yet another E. coli outbreak, the first case that of a young Alberta girl who fell ill on September 4. An official health warning was issued in Canada on September 16 and in the United States on September 20. There has been five illnesses linked to an Edmonton meat processing plant, which now has its license temporarily suspended pending an investigation by health officials. Alberta premier Alison Redford blindly swore that the beef from Alberta is safe for consumption, saying "We are very proud in this province that we grow and breed a high quality product that is marketed around the world. It is produced to the highest standards possible and that it is a safe source of protein in Alberta, in Canada and around the world. Even vegetarians aren't safe now with that delicious Popcorn Indiana kettlecorn has been tacked off the market due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination causing.. listeriosis. You can't eat anything anymore.
--
