As the fourth year of war nears its end, the Middle East’s largest refugee crisis since the Palestinian exodus from Israel in 1948 is unfolding in a climate of fear, persecution and tragedy.
Nearly 2 million Iraqis — about 8 percent of the prewar population — have embarked on a desperate migration, mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The refugees include large numbers of doctors, academics and other professionals vital for Iraq’s recovery. Another 1.7 million have been forced to move to safer towns and villages inside Iraq, and as many as 50,000 Iraqis a month flee their homes, the U.N. agency said in January.
For decades, the number of kids trying weight-loss surgery has been tiny. The operations themselves were risky, with a death rate of about 1 in 50. Children rarely got that fat, and when they did, pediatricians hesitated to put the developing bodies under the knife. Only 350 U.S. kids had such an operation in 2004, according to federal statistics.
But improvements in surgical technique and huge increases in the number of dangerously obese children have begun fueling a change of heart…
…The studies have followed a huge surge in the popularity of obesity surgeries among adults. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery estimates that more than 177,000 Americans had weight-loss surgery last year, up from 47,000 in 2001.
Not everyone is pleased that kids might be next.
“I don’t think altering the human digestive tract is a solution to the problem of excess weight,” said Joanne Ikeda, a nutritionist emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s one of these quick-fixes that isn’t a fix at all.”
Hmm…maybe eating less food and getting off the couch might be a better lace to start?
“I hope that my visit will enhance mutual understanding and trust, strengthen the bond of traditional friendship and advance the friendly relations and cooperation between China and Namibia,” Hu said in a written statement.
Hu arrived from Zambia, where he inaugurated an economic cooperation zone designed to draw $800 million in mining investment and create 60,000 jobs in the Copperbelt province.
Hu has used his tour, which also included a stop in Sudan, to cement China’s increasing economic and political ties and its fast-growing role as a foreign donor throughout the continent.
In Windhoek, Hu was expected to hold talks with Pohamba, meet Namibia’s former president Sam Nujoma and attend a state banquet.
Seems as if Bush recently dropped in, unannounced, to little diner in Peoria, Ill. called the Sterling Family Restaurant. In spite of the fact that his recent visit to the NYSE had traders peeing themselves to breathe his air, seems as if folks in Sterling had better things to do, like finishing their breakfast. Here’s an exerpt:
But on Tuesday, the surprise was on Bush. In town to deliver remarks on the economy, the president walked into the diner, where he was greeted with what can only be described as a sedate reception. No one rushed to shake his hand. There were no audible gasps or yelps of excitement that usually accompany visits like this. Last summer, a woman nearly fainted when Bush made an unscheduled visit for some donut holes at the legendary Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant in Chicago. In Peoria this week, many patrons found their pancakes more interesting. Except for the click of news cameras and the clang of a dish from the kitchen, the quiet was deafening.
“Sorry to interrupt you,” Bush said to a group of women, who were sitting in a booth with their young kids. “How’s the service?” As Bush signed a few autographs and shook hands, a man sitting at the counter lit a cigarette and asked for more coffee. Another woman, eyeing Bush and his entourage, sighed heavily and went back to her paper. She was reading the obituaries. “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” a White House aide told her. “No problem,” she huffed, in a not-so-friendly way. “Life goes on, I guess.”
Just goes to show that folks in Peoria are more grounded in reality than Wall Street traders. Viva Peoria!
… The New York Times noted that Western nuclear analysts have determined that Iran “still lack[s] the parts and materials to make droves of the highly complex [centrifuges] which can spin uranium into fuel rich enough for use in nuclear reactors or atom bombs.”
WashPo
Mission accomplished?
to kids’ obesity problems? AP/Yahoo
Hmm…maybe eating less food and getting off the couch might be a better lace to start?
“But improvements in surgical technique and huge increases in the number of dangerously obese children have begun fueling a change of heart…“
That and dollar signs. Disgusting but typical corporate behavior.
Sudan, Zambia – now Nabibia. The Chinese government is busy securing raw materials for the future – human rights, etc – not so much.
Chinese president takes tour to Namibia
Link
Seems as if Bush recently dropped in, unannounced, to little diner in Peoria, Ill. called the Sterling Family Restaurant. In spite of the fact that his recent visit to the NYSE had traders peeing themselves to breathe his air, seems as if folks in Sterling had better things to do, like finishing their breakfast. Here’s an exerpt:
“Sorry to interrupt you,” Bush said to a group of women, who were sitting in a booth with their young kids. “How’s the service?” As Bush signed a few autographs and shook hands, a man sitting at the counter lit a cigarette and asked for more coffee. Another woman, eyeing Bush and his entourage, sighed heavily and went back to her paper. She was reading the obituaries. “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” a White House aide told her. “No problem,” she huffed, in a not-so-friendly way. “Life goes on, I guess.”
Just goes to show that folks in Peoria are more grounded in reality than Wall Street traders. Viva Peoria!
I think we all knew why all his events are stage-managed extravaganzas, but this really underlines the point. Ha.
Now if we could just stop being so polite and remind the idiot that he works for us and is dismissed!
When I searched “Iran” in Google News, here are the first items that came up:
Iran sets up 328 centrifuges at N-site
Peninsula On-line, Qatar – 39 minutes ago
Vienna * Iran has set up two cascades of 164 centrifuges each in its underground nuclear plant, laying a basis for full-scale enrichment of uranium and …
Iran said to assemble two uranium units Boston Globe
Iran Said to Assemble Two Uranium Units Guardian Unlimited
Iran ‘sets up atomic centrifuges’ BBC News
Gulf Daily News
all 773 news articles »
They hype is unrelenting.
.
… The New York Times noted that Western nuclear analysts have determined that Iran “still lack[s] the parts and materials to make droves of the highly complex [centrifuges] which can spin uranium into fuel rich enough for use in nuclear reactors or atom bombs.”
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Hi Oui! I’m about to put up the new News Bucket…do you mind re-posting this there?