Obama Seeks to Calm Fears on Health Reform The Washington Post, New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal‘s world-wide newsbox lead with President Obama’s prime-time news conference, which was almost entirely devoted to health care reform. Confronting an increasingly skeptical public, the president tried to reassure Americans that the overhaul would improve [...]
Archive for July, 2009
Today’s papers – July 23, 2009
Posted in Today's Papers, tagged July 23 2009 on July 23, 2009 | Comments Off
Court Redraws Disputed Area in Sudan
Posted in Law on July 23, 2009 | Comments Off
People in Abyei, a disputed area in Sudan, celebrated a ruling by a court in The Hague on Wednesday to redraw the borders. An international tribunal redefined the borders of a disputed oil-rich region between north and south Sudan on Wednesday. The ruling seeks to defuse a thorny issue in the 2005 peace agreement ending [...]
Chimp 099 with her daughter in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, in early 2006. She died in November 2006 from complications of a spinal cord injury. Her body was one of three bodies of S.I.V.cpz-infected chimpanzees that were subject to post-mortem analysis. For the first time, scientists have shown that chimpanzees in the wild become sick [...]
All Eyepieces on Jupiter After a Big Impact
Posted in Physical sciences, Space on July 23, 2009 | Comments Off
NASA released this infrared photo on Tuesday showing what scientists believe may be evidence that another object has crashed into Jupiter. Anybody get the number of that truck? Astronomers were scrambling to get big telescopes turned to Jupiter on Tuesday to observe the remains of what looks like the biggest smashup in the solar system [...]
‘Birther’ Boom
Posted in Politics on July 23, 2009 | Comments Off
“Slowly but surely, this meme is going mainstream,” says Allpundit. “Did Lou Dobbs really GO THERE? Seriously? This is getting absurd,” says the First Read team at MSNBC. Six months into his presidency, the charge that Barack Obama is — literally — un-American is gaining not losing steam. Yes, the Birther bump is growing. Need [...]
ObamaCare in Trouble
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Health, Politics on July 23, 2009 | Comments Off
Polls are turning against President Barack Obama’s health-care plan. The political calendar is, too. On Monday, the Washington Post/ABC poll reported that 49% of Americans approve of his handling of health care while 44% disapprove. What many people missed is that those who strongly disapprove of the president’s approach on health care now outnumber those [...]
Rules for Being Sarah Palin
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Law, Politics on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
It’s unethical to defend yourself against ethics charges. An Alaskan “ethics investigator” is taking a final shot at Gov. Sarah Palin, whose resignation as governor becomes effective at the end of this week. He claims that Palin “may have violated ethics laws by accepting private donations to pay her legal debts.” According to the Associated [...]
Grounding the F-22
Posted in Conflicts and wars, Editorials and opinion, Politics on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
President Obama claimed a triumph for spending rectitude yesterday after the Senate stripped out funding for the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor fighter. Credit $1.75 billion in savings, or a third of a percentage point of the overall 2010 defense request. Only a couple of trillion more, and Mr. Obama will have a balanced budget. The [...]
When Cronkite Knew Best
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Media, Politics on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
There was something about Uncle Walt. He was so . . . avuncular. Walter Cronkite became the most trusted man in television precisely because he seemed so grown up. The CBS anchor was a pillar of maturity, reliability and unemotional accountability — just the sort of fellow who could sell you a tin of coffee [...]
Imperfect Health Reform Still Beats the Status Quo
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Health on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
Among the range of options for health-care reform, there’s one that is sure to raise your taxes, increase your out-of-pocket medical expenses, swell the federal deficit, leave more Americans without insurance and guarantee that wages will remain stagnant. That’s the option of doing nothing, letting things continue to drift as they have for the past [...]
Grow Your Own Skyscraper
Posted in Living on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
Ferdinand Ludwig grows trees on trees. That’s what he does. And he has grafted together — trunk to top, top to trunk — seven young willow trees. At the moment a scaffold supports the young architect’s unusual tree tower. The roots of individual trees protrude sideways and into containers of soil. But soon the roots [...]
Today in History – July 22
Posted in This day in history, tagged July 22 on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
Today is Wednesday, July 22, the 203rd day of 2009. There are 162 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History On July 22, 1934, bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago’s Biograph Theater, where he had just watched the Clark Gable movie “Manhattan Melodrama.” On this date: [...]
Today’s papers – July 22, 2009
Posted in Today's Papers, tagged July 22 2009 on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
Pakistan Objects to U.S. Plan for Afghan War The New York Times leads with word that Pakistan is objecting to the Obama administration’s expansion of the war in Afghanistan due to fears that retreating Taliban militants will slip across the border. Coming at a time when President Obama has made it clear he wants to [...]
The Birds of America
Posted in Birds of America, tagged 103, 104, 105 on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
Sylvia pardalina Paruline du Canada / Canada Warbler The Canada Warbler is found in the whole southern part of Quebec, in the Maritimes and in the north-eastern United States during the nesting period. It feeds on insects that it captures in flight, and nests in young mixed forests where green saplings and clumps of shrubs [...]
She Deserves Attention
Posted in Arts on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
What with tall ships sailing past Manhattan and historical exhibitions all over New York’s Hudson Valley, anyone would think that the most significant thing to happen in 1609 was Henry Hudson’s voyage up the magnificent river that now bears his name. But for lovers of Dutch painting, there’s a very different 400th anniversary to celebrate: [...]
Health Care Bay of Pigs?
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Health on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
President Obama is getting a clear message from his allies that he may have to scale back his health care goals in order to win passage from Congress. Even his own Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told NBC’s “Meet the Press:” “Our Democratic friends are having a hard time selling this to their [...]
A Letter to the Somali Pirates
Posted in Conflicts and wars, Editorials and opinion on July 22, 2009 | Comments Off
Dear Mr. Yusuf: Here is our memorandum, as promised, and we very much enjoyed meeting you (please return Mr. Goldstein, the fax machine, and the candy bowl). Your business model is admirable in view of its low start-up costs, high return on investment, lack of long-term obligations to employees, freedom from taxation, agility in the [...]
Medieval battle records go online
Posted in History on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
The new website reveals which medieval soldiers rode the furthest The detailed service records of 250,000 medieval soldiers – including archers who served with Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt – have gone online. The database of those who fought in the Hundred Years War reveals salaries, sickness records and who was knighted. The [...]
Today in History – July 21
Posted in This day in history, tagged July 21 on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Today is Tuesday, July 21, the 202nd day of 2009. There are 163 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History On July 21, 1959, the NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered merchant ship, was christened by first lady Mamie Eisenhower at Camden, N.J. On this date: In 1542, the bill issued by Pope Paul [...]
‘A Whole Industry Is Waiting For A Pandemic’
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Health on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Camp Funston, Kansas, USA. in 1918 The world has been gripped with fears of swine flu in recent weeks. In an interview with SPIEGEL, epidemiologist Tom Jefferson speaks about dangerous fear-mongering, misguided, money-driven research and why we should all be washing our hands a lot more often. SPIEGEL: Mr. Jefferson, the world is living in [...]
Reflections on a summer camp for the children of atheists AS PART of a travelling Christian drama group, Don Sutterfield used to perform short plays. In one, a young man gives his girlfriend a rose and tries to persuade her to have premarital sex. The couple walk off, leaving the rose behind. Jesus picks it [...]
The permanent campaign
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Politics on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Evo Morales is a popular president, but his brand of politics is dividing his country ON THE high plane, the altiplano, surrounding La Paz, where the landscape is drawn in shades of dusty brown, new brick buildings stand out against the bright sky. Most are residences of a couple of storeys, but there are schools [...]
The So-So Sotomayor
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Law, Politics on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
A political ad that lucky New Yorkers get to see on television begins with “A million lawyers in America” and goes on to wonder about certain no-bid contracts in nearby New Jersey that will not concern us today. But every time the ad runs, I cannot help thinking about Sonia Sotomayor: A million lawyers in [...]
Iran’s Tragic Joke
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Politics on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Allow me to quote the British novelist Martin Amis, writing about Persia in The Guardian: “Iran is one of the most venerable civilizations on earth: it makes China look like an adolescent, and America look like a stripling.” Iranians, aware of that history, are a proud people. They do not take kindly to being played [...]
The Day Obscenity Became Art
Posted in Literature on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
TODAY is the 50th anniversary of the court ruling that overturned America’s obscenity laws, setting off an explosion of free speech — and also, in retrospect, splashing cold water on the idea, much discussed during Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, that judges are “umpires” rather than agents of social change. The historic case began [...]
Liberal Suicide March
Posted in Editorials and opinion, Politics on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
It was interesting to watch the Republican Party lose touch with America. You had a party led by conservative Southerners who neither understood nor sympathized with moderates or representatives from swing districts. They brought in pollsters to their party conferences to persuade their members that the country was fervently behind them. They were supported by [...]
New Earth-Size Blot on Jupiter, Found By an Amateur
Posted in Physical sciences on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
A large impact mark on Jupiter’s south polar region captured on Monday by NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. NASA has confirmed the discovery of a new hole the size of the Earth in Jupiter’s atmosphere, apparently showing that the planet was hit by something large in recent days. The impact mark was [...]
Today’s papers – July 21, 2009
Posted in Today's Papers on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Democrats May Limit Tax Increases for Health Care Plan The New York Times and Wall Street Journal‘s world-wide newsbox lead with Democratic leaders in Congress making it clear they’re ready to compromise on health care legislation to make sure members of their own party don’t bail. It seems likely that, despite White House pressure, bills [...]
The Birds of America
Posted in Birds of America, tagged 100, 101, 102 on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off
Cistothorus palustris Troglodyte des marais / Marsh Wren The Marsh Wren’s territory extends from the Outaouais to the Eastern Townships region in Quebec, and is commonly found in the Maritimes and the southern United States. As its name indicates, it nests in swamps of various sizes, where bulrushes and other aquatic plants grow. Its nest, [...]
The Kremlin has expressed regret over the murder of human rights activist Natalya Estemirova and promised a thorough investigation. Yet observers expect little to come of it. Sources in Russian intelligence believe Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov is behind the assassination. Chechen journalist and activist Natalia Estemirova at the Front Line Club in London, on October [...]
