Tuesday News Bucket

19 Comments

1. 

   CabinGirl on November 21, 2006 at 8:56 am

   and they never really get called on it: AP/Yahoo

   Republicans vacating the Capitol are dumping a big spring cleaning job on Democrats moving in. GOP leaders have opted to leave behind almost a half-trillion-dollar clutter of unfinished spending bills.

   There’s also no guarantee that Republicans will pass a multibillion-dollar measure to prevent a cut in fees to doctors treating Medicare patients.

   Yep.  They’ve already helped create the largest deficit ever, so why finish the job?  This way, they can blame the new guys for not doing a good enough job cleaning up their mess in 2 years.

   The bulging workload that a Republican-led Congress was supposed to complete this year but is instead punting to 2007 promises to consume time and energy that Democrats had hoped to devote to their own agenda upon taking control of Congress in January for the first time in a dozen years.

   Gee, where are the calls from the press for the Republicans to finish their work in the “spirit of bipartisanship”?  Well, maybe they’ll get to it after they’ve finished discussing Nancy Pelosi’s latest outfit and potential grinchiness…

   The decision to drop so much unfinished work in Democrats’ laps demonstrates both division within Republicans ranks and the difficulty in resolving so many knotty questions in so short a time. GOP leaders promised their House and Senate members the December lame duck session would last no more than two weeks, or until Dec. 16 at the latest.

   Now, with the agenda shrinking, a session that will be the last for 45 retiring or defeated House members and senators should be wrapped up by Dec. 8.

   Cuz, you know, they should just get paid without having to do any, you know, work, aside from rubberstamping.

   And how does the article finish up?

   Bush is likely to be torn between the necessity of working with Democrats to finance his priorities — including the war — and a desire to take a stand against spending increases. Bush has never vetoed a spending bill in his six years in office, but that may change now that it will be Democrats writing them.

   Democrats pledge not to overreach in their dealings with the president.

   Damn Librul media.

   • 

     idredit on November 21, 2006 at 9:50 am

     On guard.

     Democrats will be blamed for this administration’s failures – the coming recession, ending the Iraq occupation. Who’ll remember the last 5 years?

     • 

       keepinon on November 21, 2006 at 5:02 pm

       I will!

2. 

   ask on November 21, 2006 at 9:21 am

   Ouch!
   U.S. is most unfriendly country to visitors, survey says

   WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rude immigration officials and visa delays keep millions of foreign visitors away from the United States, hurt the country’s already battered image, and cost the U.S. billions of dollars in lost revenue, according to an advocacy group formed to push for a better system.

   To drive home the point, the Discover America Partnership released the result of a global survey on Monday which showed that international travelers see the United States as the world’s worst country in terms of getting a visa and, once you have it, making your way past rude immigration officials.

   The survey, of 2,011 international travelers in 16 countries, was conducted by RT Strategies, a Virginia-based polling firm, for the Discover America Partnership, a group launched in September with multimillion-dollar backing from a range of companies that include the InterContinental Hotels Group, Anheuser Busch and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
   (more)

3. 

   blueneck on November 21, 2006 at 9:37 am

   Extraordinary life found around deep-sea gas seeps
   An international team led by scientists from the United States and New Zealand have observed, for the first time, the bizarre deep-sea communities living around methane seeps off New Zealand’s east coast.

   Holiday gluttony can spell disaster for undiagnosed diabetics
   Hearty feasts and couch-potato marathons are holiday traditions, but UT Southwestern Medical Center experts warn that packing on pounds and not exercising could be deadly for the 6 million Americans who have diabetes and don’t even know it.

   Love-hungry apes move to island
   Five male gorillas in the Republic of Congo that have been straying into villages in search of love are to get their very own “bachelor island”.
      
   Dragonfly’s metabolic disease provides clues about human obesity
   Parasite-infected dragonflies suffer the same metabolic disorders that have led to an epidemic of obesity and type-2 diabetes in humans.

   Park Service Plan Would Keep Current Snowmobile Limits
   Park Service wants to maintain snowmobile regulations allowing 720 snowmobiles per day to enter Yellowstone National Park.

   China boasts plan for world’s largest solar plant
   China, seeking to ease its dependence on coal to fuel its booming economy, said on Tuesday it will build the world’s largest solar power station in the poor but sunny northwestern province of Gansu.
   The 100 megawatt (mw) project would cost approximately 6.03 billion yuan ($766 million) and construction would take five years, Xinhua news agency said.

   Spinning Black Hole Pushes the Limit
   a Center for Astrophysics-led team has measured a black hole spinning so rapidly – turning more than 950 times per second – that it pushes the predicted speed limit for rotation.

   Deal on international nuclear fusion plant signed
   Representatives of more than 30 countries signed a deal on Tuesday to build the world’s most advanced nuclear fusion reactor, aimed at developing a clean, cheap and abundant energy source as the end of fossil fuels looms.
   After months of wrangling, France edged out Japan last year to host the 10-billion-euro ($12.8-billion) International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which will be built at Cadarache, near the southern city of Marseille.

   Red wine ingredient found to boost endurance
   A red wine in­gre­di­ent, ear­li­er linked to long life in an­i­mals, al­so “re-programs” mus­cle to double en­du­rance, ac­cord­ing to a new study in mice.

   Chocolate good for your heart
   Chocolate may lower heart attack risk according to a new U.S. study which fulfills the dreams of chocaholics everywhere.

   • 

     Militarytracy on November 21, 2006 at 10:11 am

     Almost as good as sex but usually better after.

     • 

       blueneck on November 21, 2006 at 10:40 am

       with the cigarette….

4. 

   idredit on November 21, 2006 at 9:44 am

   Thanksgiving reading essays

   Her Stages of grief:
   Will Laura Bush Stay the Course with George? (worth the scroll to article) A teaser –

   “[R]ight now, I’m sure the First Lady is feeling like the First Rag Doll as she navigates the stages of grief [.]
   Laura’s first emotion may have manifested with: “No, I can’t believe this is happening. I must pinch myself to see if this is a nightmare.”

   This would have been followed by anger: “I should have kicked you to the curb years ago when you did absolutely f^^king nothing but chug beer, hug the toilet, and lie on your lazy ass for days.”

   CUT AND RUN, Part 1
   Fleeing self-destruction is common sense
   By Henry C K Liu

   And in Other News

   Poetic Justice in waiting. That FL 13th Congressional District – formerly held by Katherine Harris getting interesting. Lawsuits fly but the decision could be up to the House.

   Israel’s turn. It’s the season for former politicians:

   Olmert cabinet crisis. Getting ready to sack Minister of Defense Peretz and name Ehud Barak.

   Coming soon? but, not in time for this Thanksgiving

   Edible food wraps that kill the deadly E-coli Bacteria

   Be safe. Eat well.

   • 

     Militarytracy on November 21, 2006 at 10:19 am

     rumor is she’s a chain smoker.  As an xsmoker, she isn’t likely to feel anything she doesn’t want to feel. Sometimes I look at Laura Bush and can’t help thinking to myself, “My God, there’s still a woman in America who hasn’t had an orgasm and we’ve tried so hard!”  I couldn’t help it but when Bill Maher cracked the joke about her returning from the Clinton Global Initiative with her skirt on backwards without that frozen smile I was rolling in my bed laughing like hell.

5. 

   CabinGirl on November 21, 2006 at 11:03 am

   or so it would seem from this editorial in the Lexington (KY) Herald

   Hippies still trying to ruin the country

   America won’t win another war until the 1960s flower children are pushing up petunias.

   Radicalized, the flower children morphed into lefty loonies who now masquerade as social progressives. No matter what they rename themselves, however, their agenda hasn’t changed.

   They still want utopia, and it wouldn’t be worth mentioning except that their naivete has aged into a persistent denial of reality that may have devastating consequences…

   And that’s just the beginning.  The columnist’s email address appears at the bottom of the editorial, if you’d like to give her some feedback…

   • 

     idredit on November 21, 2006 at 12:58 pm

     What has happened to America?

     That sort of thinking fits right in with this

     (h/t: rawstory) BU’s College Republicans offers white scholarship to protest race-based scholarships.

     “Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship” that requires applicants be at least 25 percent Caucasian.”

     Am I missing something here?

   • 

     Militarytracy on November 21, 2006 at 1:13 pm
6. 

   idredit on November 21, 2006 at 4:42 pm

   A Bush story that’s not getting ANY play…

   Crook and Liars has item (h/t:Hiffpost)

   Hawaii: Bush’s Motorcade crashes -motorcycle cops seriously injured, one in critical condition.

   This trip has not been uneventful huh. 6 tires blew on Airforce One, now this.

   • 

     Militarytracy on November 21, 2006 at 4:51 pm

     I still can’t believe that George set Iraq on fire and then went xylophoning while it burns.  Laura too, it was just precious.  At least he isn’t swaggering as much.

   • 

     Gaianne on November 21, 2006 at 7:31 pm

     6 tires blew on Airforce One, now this  

     Just a polite warning.  Does he really have no clue?  

     He might be even more delusional than we think!  

     • 

       CabinGirl on November 21, 2006 at 7:36 pm

       He does seem to be a bit slow to catch on.  In this case, that may be a benefit.

       • 

         idredit on November 21, 2006 at 8:06 pm

         can’t make this up…. fraught with mishaps would you believe.

         one more, also in Hawaii –  Monday night, Bush’s

         “acting White House Travel Office Director, Gregg Pitts was beaten and robbed in Honolulu. Pitts suffered head and other injuries in the attack,  severe enough that he remained behind.

         • 

           CabinGirl on November 21, 2006 at 8:07 pm

           Looks like the bad karma is finally catching up to Bush and friends…’bout time.

         • 

           Gaianne on November 21, 2006 at 9:59 pm

           Wow!  

           Somehow I don’t think W is going to finish his second term.