December 2004

There were 57 posts published in December 2004 (this is page 6 of 10).

Subsidizing Impoverished Oil Producers

The Independent reports on the latest Bush administration efforts to sabotage an international agreement to combat global warming. Yes, this is the same administration that promised to offer some sort of alternative to the Kyoto Protocol. But that was a long time ago. And let’s face it, this kind of process will get little, if any, coverage on TV news.
But wait, this gets even better (emphasis added):

The Americans also objected to mentions of the need to tackle global warming as opposed to adapting to it, and backed an extraordinary demand from Saudi Arabia that oil-producing states should receive billions of dollars in compensation from the rest of the world if they burned less oil.

Huh? We should pay countries for not using as much of their oil?
I’m not sure if the administration really favors this proposal, or if it’s simply trying to insert a poison pill into the process. But either way it’s evident that the energy industry is priority one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Saving “Merry Christmas”

This has apparently become an even bigger media issue than it was just a few days ago.
That liberal media.
How do these hot issues bubble up to the forefront? Atrios offers a a typical flow chart:

Local News –> Free Republic –> Drudge –> Talk Radio –> Some Wingnut Congressperson/State Legislator –> Fox News –> Lou Dobbs/Scarborough/etc… –> Another round on local news –> CNN –> mainstream print media. [order can vary slightly].

I haven’t done any scientific research on this, but I’d guess the length of the above cycle has been reduced by at least 1/3 over the last three or four years.

Suspected Arsonists Charged

Law enforcement authorities arrested another eco-terrorist a firefighter in the Maryland arson case.
I like news stories that you can learn lessons from. This report teaches us that if you commit a crime and don’t want to be caught, you should not do either of the following:
(1) Describe the inside details of how the crime was committed to law enforcement; or
(2) Use your cell phone in the vicinity of a crime scene, then lie about your whereabouts.
Criminals do the darnedest things.

Undeserved Murder

Understatement of the day:

“They didn’t deserve this.”

–Neighbor of Bobbie Jo Stinnett and her husband. The former was murdered Thursday and had her fetus cut out of her womb.
Come to think of it, I don’t think anyone “deserves” that.
This is sick:

Several pregnant women have been killed in recent years by attackers who then removed their fetuses, in some cases to pass the children off as their own.

I’ve heard it’s difficult to adopt babies, but it can’t be that hard. Sheesh.

Affording Healthcare

What do multi-milllionaries with free, employer-funded healthcare plans do to ensure they’ll be able to see a doctor? Why, they set up a health savings account, of course:

President Bush may enjoy the best healthcare in America, and for free, too. But that didn’t stop him this week from setting up a tax-deferred health savings account.
. . .
“He currently gets the best healthcare in the world, but when his term ends, he will return to the private sector,” said Deputy Press Secretary Trent Duffy, adding that Bush also opened the account to set an example.
“He felt that this was the best move for his current and future healthcare needs,” Duffy said.

That George Bush–he’s just a regular guy like the rest of us, isn’t he?