Posts Tagged “China”
- President-elect Barack Obama will make his first-ever visit to the White House today when he meets privately with President Bush for the traditional first visit between America’s leader and his predecessor. Security will be particularly tight for the visit, as unconfirmed reports suggest Bush may try to escape and leave Obama in charge…
  One of the things the pair will certainly discuss is the nation’s economic woes, which today includes news of electronics giant Circuit City’s bankruptcy filing and the report of a record aid package to AIG–who already had received $80 million in federal loans. Obama may use the opportunity to press for an additional stimulus package, which Bush may agree to–just as long as it doesn’t mess with Cheney’s golden parachute package…- The newly-revised US-Iraq security pact no longer contains language that authorizes a request for US troops to stay beyond 2011, as well as additionally instituting a ban on cross-border attacks from their soil. My only question–how long will it take for another revision, begging us to stay until 2011…
- Markets in Asia soared in response to the news that China has implemented its own ambitious stiumulus package, boosting government spending on roads and other infrastructure, tax incentives for exporters, more aid for farmers and the poor, as well as greater investments in health and education, environmental protection and high technology. Premier Wen JiabaoW said that their actions, "are not only the needs of the development of ourselves, but also our biggest contribution to the world"–in other words, "maybe you won’t notice us taking Taiwan back"…
- A new study suggests that some headphones, like the earbuds so popular with iPod and other music player users, can interfere with heart pacemakers or implanted defibrulators if placed very close to them–like in a shirt pocket. Researchers caution that the danger is only from the powerful magnetic substance inside the headphones–a Nano in your pocket doesn’t mean you’re really glad to see the Maker…
 The latest update on the census of life under the sea, being compiled by over 2,000 scientists from 82 nations, has included a number of exciting discoveries–both of new varieties of sea life, as well as previously-unknown enviromments for some species. The photo is of a variety of male sea spider that is very possibly a newly discovered creature–and one that has absolutely no chance of landing on your face in the middle of the night…
Tags: AIG, Barack Obama, China, Circuit City, Financial meltdown, health care, Iraq, President Bush, White House
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- Congressional leaders and the White House completed negotiations on the president’s $700 billion rescue plan late Sunday night, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying, "This isn’t about a bailout of Wall Street, it’s a buy-in, so that we can turn our economy around." So am I the only one a liitle freaked over Pelosi using poker lingo to explain how they’re making everything better?
 Both John McCain and Barack Obama Sunday used carefully crafted words to show their support of the financial rescue plan just completed by the White House and Congressional leaders, with Obama saying he’s inclined to back it, "because I think Main Street is now at stake", and McCain stating, "The option of doing nothing is simply not an acceptable option." McCain running mate Sarah Palin was also asked for her assessment, but she was apparently late for Girls Night Out at TGI Friday’s…- As the world mourned the death of movie icon Paul Newman over the weekend, close associates of his said that he wanted to be remembered most for the establishment of the "Hole In The Wall" camps he started for children with life-threatening illnesses, and that he wanted the charitable work of his Newman’s Own food company to continue after his death. We certainly won’t forget all his gifts to us–including Brick, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy, Henry Gondorf, Frank Galvin, and Fast Eddie Felson…
- A Chinese space mission returned to Earth Sunday and its crew of three astronauts hailed as national heroes after they completed the country’s first spacewalk, a significant step toward China’s ambitious plan to build a space station and land a man on the moon. Government officials insisted all the astronauts had proof they met the program’s mininum age requirements…
 Hurricane Kyle spent the weekend threatening Maine with its first Category 1 storm in 17 years–but instead delivering little more than a serious soaking to a few Downeast communities before weakening to to a tropical storm and making landfall in Canada’s Nova Scotia. I guess the biggest concern was the wild blueberry crop and the associated shortage of blueberry pies, ruining a perfectly good Maine lobster dinner…- A conservative legal group plans to send the IRS sermons from nearly three dozen clergy members who made pointed political references to candidates from the pulpit Sunday in order to force a legal challenge to a rule that such activities can risk the church’s tax-exempt status. I understand most of the homilies were deemed adequate; however, a few had to be discarded due to their apparent "Vote Pat Robertson for God On Earth" campaign effort
Tags: Barack Obama, China, financial bailout, Hurricane Kyle, John McCain, Maine, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Newman, Sarah Palin
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- Investigators say DNA from the anthrax scare that killed 7 people in 2001 helped lead them to an Army lab and the man they believe sent the poison-laced letters. His suicide shortly after being identified as a suspect was a big disappointment–not only will he not be able to explain why he did it, but he won’t be able to receive the kind of punishment he deserves for what he did to his country…
 President Bush leaves today for a trip to Asia, where he wil speak wih leaders in South Korea and Thailand before arriving in China to witness the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. I understand that he’s pretty excited, but also disappointed he won’t be throwing out the first pitch… Texas has been warned to be ready for Tropical Storm Eduoard, which formed in the Gulf Of Mexico Sunday and is likely to graduate to a hurricane when it makes landfall Tuesday along the state’s eastern shore bordering Louisiana. The opposite side of the state’s shore was affected by Hurricane Dolly almost 2 weeks ago–so do you call that equal opportunity destruction or what?- Al-Qaida has confirmed that of one of its top commanders was killed–the individual believed to have trained the suicide bombers who attacked the USS Cole in 2000. CBS News also reported that Al-Qaida’s #2 and Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenant was killed at the same time. I certainly don’t believe that the taking of anyone’s life should ever be celebrated, but I am nonetheless feeling that whole "two-for-one bargain" concept …
- Nobel prize-winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn died of heart failure late Sunday at the age of 89. He fearlessly recounted his own experiences in Soviet Union labor camps over several books in the 1960’s and ’70’s–and lived long enough to see the end of everything he worte about…
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Tags: 2008 Summer Olympics, al-Qaida, China, Nobel Prize, Norway, President Bush, Texas, Tropical Storm Eduoard
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