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United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

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Wednesday, December 03, 2003

New bid to ban trade in cat and dog fur Wednesday, December 3, 2003 Posted: 5:21 PM EST (2221 GMT) BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- Think twice about buying a tiny cat soft toy this Christmas -- it could be made from dog fur. The call was made by members of the European Parliament, who launched a campaign on Wednesday for a ban on imports of cat and dog fur across the 15-nation European Union. "This cat soft toy is made from the butchery of dogs in China ... the citizens of Europe want a ban on this evil trade," Scottish Conservative assembly member Struan Stevenson told a news conference, displaying items made from pet pelts. 6:34:43 PM    comment []

Once upon a time, while I was working in the warehouse at GrayBar Electric, the radio started blaring some Clapton. Another guy working there walked up to the shipping desk where I was packing UPS packages of blenders, toasters, and assorted electrical fittings. He shook his head and said, “Damn! Nobody can make that guitar sing like Clapton.”   I thought a little bit. I thought about Jack Wilce, who played the livin’ bejesus out of a doubleneck when he wasn’t working his day job at Channel 4. I thought about Terry Efau who used to be able to play Lenny Breau note for note before he got tendonitis and had to shift to pedal steel. I thought about Dave Workman who played the blues as any man on earth, backing up the vocals of Willie Pooch who daylighted (and ultimately retired from) Buckeye Steel Castings. “Well,” I said, “Clapton is damn good, but there are some fine players right here in Columbus, Ohio who could give him a run for his money. There’s a lot of unappreciated talent in town.”   Now it was his turn to think and, by golly, he did. You could almost see the sump pumps of empathy chugging away just behind his forehead. Then he said, “You know, that’s true about bowling too. There are lots of great bowlers in Columbus.”   Lucky Sister Bubbles! She lives in Toledo where the art of bowling gets the appreciation it deserves. Here’s a shot (from ESPN2) of the PBA Toledo Open. The guy who left the 10 pin standing is from Venezuela. That’s a shame. They wouldn’t have to import anyone, there are lots of great bowlers in Toledo too! 6:14:17 PM    comment []

A Little More Agitprop, Then Back To Food…   In case the overwhelming stench of absolute corruption emanating from the recent passage of the Medicare Bill was not enough to knock you out, here’s a couple more follow-ups. But first, let’s recall that AARP has been co-opted by a man who will personally profit by the bill’s passage, even though the majority of AARP members feel they’ve been screwed. Keep in mind also that Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader, also stands to profit handsomely from his investments in a not-so-blind HMO trust fund. Yeah, and there’s the bribery, threats, and breach of procedure used to railroad this piece of shit through the US House Of Representatives. Oh, yes, and that mildly annoying detail that the primary beneficiaries are HMOs, drug companies, and insurers who have seen their annual profit rates soar at 5-10 times that of the cost of living adjustments made for those living on fixed incomes. Those are minor irritants, like a taco with just a hint of too much Tabasco. They might cause a little heartburn, but they aren’t enough to induce projectile vomiting. Well, here’s your ipecac:   Remember All The Scare Tactics About How Dangerous Canadian Drugs Are?   Canadian drug risk unproven Despite dire warnings, FDA can cite no injuries. By Tony Pugh Inquirer Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - After nearly a year of sharp warnings about the dangers of prescription drugs from Canada, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials cannot produce a single U.S. consumer who was killed or injured by inferior medications from Canada. Okay, so there were lies, we expected that, right, no big deal – but how about conflict of interest? Health Industry Bidding to Hire Medicare Chief By ROBERT PEAR Published: December 3, 2003 WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 — The federal official who runs Medicare and was intimately involved in drafting legislation to overhaul the program is the object of a bidding war among five firms hoping to hire him to advise clients affected by the measure. Though the official, Thomas A. Scully, is not widely known outside Washington, his exhaustive knowledge of the Medicare program and the intricacies of the legislation, approved by Congress last week, would make him a prize catch for any law firm or private equity firm. 4:58:03 PM    comment []

Carrots & Sticks   Robert Novak reported it, but no one except Timothy Noah seems concerned:   During 14 years in the Michigan Legislature and 11 years in Congress, Rep. Nick Smith had never experienced anything like it. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, in the wee hours last Saturday morning, pressed him to vote for the Medicare bill. But Smith refused. Then things got personal. Smith, self term-limited, is leaving Congress. His lawyer son Brad is one of five Republicans seeking to replace him from a GOP district in Michigan's southern tier. On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat. Here is Noah’s latest update to the story: [Update, Dec. 2: In a Nov. 28 commentary in the Lenawee (Michigan) Connection, Rep. Smith himself made reference to "bribes and special deals" that "were offered to convince members to vote yes," though he shed little further light on who, his own case, the perpetrator or perpetrators were: Other members [i.e., not Hastert] and groups made offers of extensive financial campaign support and endorsements for my son, Brad, who is running for my seat. They also made threats of working against Brad if I voted no. If the Bush Justice department hasn't made inquiries about this yet, it isn't doing its job.] This would be funny if it were happening in some third-world country where bribes and threats are the mysterious ways by which the government works. When the vote went to floor of the House, there were not enough votes to pass it. In a democracy, that should stymie it. We have a government that sends troops abroad to fight for democracy but who is fighting for it here? More on the Medicare vote from MSNBC… 6:24:01 AM    comment []