Posts Tagged “global warming”
- The Bush administration wants to relax provisions of the Endangered Species Act so federal agencies can decide for themselves what actions would harm endangered animals and plants, so the Act couldn’t be used to regulate the causes of global warming. In a press conference Monday, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said, "We need to focus our efforts where they will do the most good"–making sure Al Gore doesn’t get any more powerful than he already is…
- Federal officials accused a New Orleans agency of abusing a government program created to clean up houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina, claiming the agency was paying contractors who were doing little or no work at all. I think we should spare no punishment for anyone who abuses Katrina victims this way–sentence them to jobs with FEMA…
 California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to court to fight his state’s comptroller over a plan to cut the pay of 175,000 employees until state lawmakers approve a budget. I’m sure the lawyers will do all the talking, but if the Governator spits out "Hasta la vista, baby", it’s all over…- An Atlanta federal judge ruled to uphold a ban on guns at the nation’s busiest airport, finding against a claim that a new Georgia law allowed weapons to be carried in certain parts of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. I guess the judge just couldn’t understand the complexities of negotiating a first class upgrade without a Beretta in your belt…
- The National Hurricane Center reports that a pair of tropical distrubances emerged in the Atlantic Monday with the potential to become tropical storms or hurricanes over the next few days. Revised predictions of a more active hurricane season means these two are more likely to become problematic–and yet more real Extreme Home Makeovers…
 Scientists say they are another step closer to developing a method to make people and objects invisible, using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects. It means I am that much closer to my ultimate dream–to learn if Heather Locklear is a "true blonde"…
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, global warming, Hurricane Katrina, National Hurricane Center, TSA, White House
No Comments »
- Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska–the nation’s longest-serving Republican senator–was indicted by federal prosecutors on seven felony counts of concealing a quarter-million dollars in home renovations and other gifts from a major oil contractor that has lobbied Stevens. Stevens has flatly denied that he knowingly broke any law–well, at least any law he felt he should obey…
- Southern California coped with a 5.4-magnitude earthquake Tuesday–
View Larger Map
the strongest to hit a populated area there in over a decade–that shook windows, chandeliers, a few buildings and plenty of nerves but did not cause serious injuries or major damage. In short, it was not the "Big One" scientists warn is coming, which I believe is measured by the number of celebrities losing cosmetic body parts…
- Mother Nature is causing more headaches in the Golden State as yet another wildfire–this one started by a target shooter– has spread to 46 square miles, destroyed 25 homes and restricted access to Yosemite National Park. This kind of thing could become a real tragedy–where would Yosemite Sam live?
-
Democratic senators Tuesday called for the resignation of EPA administrator Stephen Johnson, claiming he lied to them when testifying that he acted alone in sparing California from regulating vehicles’ global warming emissions–despite other testimony that Johnson was pressured by the White House. That’s easy enough to prove–just find out if he ever talked to Dick Cheney or Karl Rove…
- John McCain skirted a potentially damaging health scare after a regular checkup found a spot on his cheek that might have been skin cancer–until a biopsy ruled it out. It makes me wonder how Mike Huckabee took the news–before and after…
- A scientist has reported that a 7 square-mile chunk of ice has broken off a Canadian ice shelf in the Arctic, saying it was consistent with the theory that the Arctic’s current climate isn’t rebuilding ice sheets–but not specifically blaming global warming. Maybe it’s because every time it happens, you have to pay Al Gore…
Tags: Alaska, California, cancer, earthquake, EPA, global warming, John McCain, Senate, wildfire
No Comments »
- Space shuttle Discovery will dock with the International Space Station today on its mission to deliver the second of three parts of a Japanese lab, plus parts to repair the space station’s lavatory. The crew is anxious to avoid going where no man has gone before…
- Hillary Clinton won the Puerto Rico primary by a wide margin yesterday, but Barack Obama still gained delegates to move closer to the "magic number" he needs to win the Democratic nomination. The Clinton camp says it plans to lobby Obama superdelegates to change their minds–which seems about as likely as the site of her recent win becoming our 51st state…
- An early morning fire yesterday did extensive damage to Universal Studios, destroying back-lot sets used in dozens of movies from To Kill A Mockingbird to Back To The Future. Does this mean Marty McFly is still stuck in 1985?
- A Minnesota Catholic church has obtained a restraining order to keep an autistic teen from attending Mass, claiming he has struck a child, spit on someone and urinated in the church–which his parents deny ever happened. This seems like a tragic situation–especially in light of something Jesus Christ once said about "the least of…my family"…
- President Bush has asked his defense and interior secretaries to work towards getting national momuents designations for Pearl Harbor and other historic World War Two sites in the Pacific. Perhaps sixty years from now, a future president may do the same in Iraq–I just hope it’s over by then…
- A bill in Congress requiring greenhouse gas reductions could be a hard sell, with affected industries on one side claiming it will cause another spike in energy prices while environmental and other groups saying the increase will be moderate and is justified to overcome the effects of global warming. This debate will generate what our Earth needs least–more hot air…
Tags: autism, Barack Obama, Congress, global warming, Hillary Clinton, International Space Station, NASA, President Bush, Puerto Rico, space shuttle, Universal Studios, World War II
No Comments »
- The economy got sort of a break in April, as the Labor Department reported that prices last month only rose 0.2%. When that’s the good news, you know you’re driving the wrong way on the Recovery Expressway…
- Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards officially endorsed Barack Obama yesterday, the biggest among several recent endorsements for the candidate who many now believe will face John McCain in the general election. Hillary Clinton vows to continue to fight–not unlike a basketball team down by 30 with a minute to go…
- Former New Jersey governor James McGreevey told a judge in his divorce case that he’s too poor to pay alimony, claiming his resignation from office and marital problems have financially crippled him. Generally speaking, publicly throwing over your wife for another man puts you at a disadvantage in many ways…
- The Interior Department has declared the polar bear a threatened species due to the loss of Arctic ice, but said this should not be considered a global warming initiative. So–it must have been those darn Eskimos and their wienie roasts on the tundra…
- An international business school survey says the US tops the world in competitveness for the 15th straight year, but cautions that our economic problems may keep us from staying there. I understand Dick Cheney offered to take them out, but the president talked him out of it…
- Paul McCartney has angered environmentalists with his purchase of a high-priced hybrid car–because he chose to have it flown to him in Britain from Japan instead of via ship, completely negating the benefits the car would provide. Poor Paul–he couldn’t decide between being green and rich…
Tags: Barack Obama, Democrat, economy, global warming, Hillary Clinton, hybrid vehicle, John Edwards, Paul McCartney
No Comments »
- The Senate is moving to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing the housing and mortgage crisis, although economists don’t think it will be enough to stop the current wave of foreclosures. One way to deal with those "upside down" mortgages is to put the banks holding them upside down too–in a toilet bowl…
- United Airlines temporarily grounded dozens of aircraft yesterday to complete an overlooked test on their fire-supression systems, canceling 38 flights and delaying dozens of others. it was a wise decision–I imagine they’ll have some seriously overheated passengers to deal with…
- Scientists have found genetic variations that can make some people more likely to become hooked on smoking and more prone to getting lung cancer. Why do I get the sick feeling that the tobacco industry will try and use this to their advantage?
- Barack Obama says that he would offer Al Gore a place in his administration to address global warming. Since leaving politics, Gore has won an Emmy, an Oscar, the Nobel peace prize and has become incredibly wealthy–maybe Obama should hope that Gore will give him a job…
- Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is appealing his 2006 conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges, claiming that the risks he took when running the company were always for its benefit. It was just a coincidence that he got rich beyond imagination while employees saw their 401K’s evaporate…
- The husband of a US senator from Michigan admitted to police that he paid a woman $150 for sex after he was caught during an investigation into prostitution at an area hotel. The guy has a great defense–he can just blame it on Eliot Spitzer…
Tags: Al Gore, Barack Obama, cancer, global warming, prostitution ring, Senate, smoking, subprime mortgage
No Comments »
|
Entries (RSS)