Thursday, December 24, 2009

Headlines Thursday 24th December 2009

Asylum-seeker dies after medical aid 'denied'
ONE of almost 250 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers who have spent the past 11 weeks refusing to leave their boat in Indonesia has died after allegedly being denied medical help. - another life given for Rudd's failed policy. - ed.


Former president says apology to Jews for actions he acknowledged stigmatized Israel is not timed to a decision by grandson on whether to enter Georgia politics. - as with all things he did, this is intellectually dishonest if it isn't for his son's career. Carter's career speaks for itself, and he has supported those who oppressed Jews. - ed.

Health Bill Clears Final Hurdle
Senate Dems vote in a show of unity after intense GOP opposition clearing the way for final passage Thursday

5 Held Hostage in Post Office
Shots reportedly fired at Virginia post office where five hostages are being held

Harsh Reality for Balloon Boy Parents
Judge sentences balloon boy's father to 90 days in jail, mother to 20 days; both banned from receiving money from media regarding hoax


In one state they're counting the cost of lost homes and telling tales of lucky escapes. In another they're stockpiling food for what could be a week-long flood - stoicism is what is required when ALP are in government - ed.

More expect unhappy new year
INTEREST rates rises and job fears have more people set for a heavy hangover to start 2010.

Third strike as ASIC loses Fortescue case
THE corporate plod loses again as Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest is cleared of misleading investors.

Refugee tourism now 'exotic adventure'
THE Federal Government spruiks the arrival of P&O's first cruise ship to dock at Christmas Island.

Plan to use cancer detecting dogs
A DOG has certainly become her owner's best friend by detecting cancer and saving her life.

Winehouse charged over Cinderella rage
SINGER allegedly punched theatre official, heckled cast and kept shouting, “He’s f…ing behind you”.

'I just forgot about my boy'
THE mother of a woman who left her toddler inside a baking car as she shopped yesterday defended her daughter and said she just simply forgot he was there.
=== Journalists Corner ===

What Does Your Doctor Say?
Senator Reid and the American Medical Association made a big deal about the AMA endorsing the Senate health care bill. I investigated and found out only 29.9 per cent of doctors are in the AMA. That is too small a percentage for me to be convinced that the doctors in this country think the [...]
=== Comments ===
President Obama's Year-End Report Card
This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," December 22, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!

LAURA INGRAHAM, GUEST HOST: In the "Barack and a Hard Place" segment tonight, with 2009 drawing to a close, it seems like everyone is giving President Obama year-end grades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN ROBERTS, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" HOST: Give him a report card on three fronts.

BILL O'REILLY, "O'REILLY FACTOR" HOST: Okay.

ROBERTS: Let's start with health care.

O'REILLY: Health care I'd say D as in dog.

ROBERTS: How about jobs? We have seen encouraging turn.

O'REILLY: B, boy, for jobs.

ROBERTS: Now Afghanistan?

O'REILLY: C.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, R - CALIF.: When it comes to effort, should get a straight A.

OPRAH WINFREY: What grade would you give yourself for this year?

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Good solid B plus.

(END VIDEO CLIP) Click link for more
===
Students exhibiting the Christmas spirit
Piers Akerman
AS the cash registers jingle their merry Christmas tunes, one small group of young Australians have earned admiration by truly contributing to the spirit of Christianity. - Thank you Piers. An awesome reminder that the young are our future. People to be proud of. - ed.
===
OLD, BOLD SCHU
Tim Blair
Michael Schumacher, who’ll be 41 by time the next season begins, will return to Formula One in 2010. Not a single driver who raced against Schumacher during his 1991 debut is still competing in F1 (most are retired from all major motorsport; one is dead). His 2010 Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, was then only six years old. But punters are keen:
Odds on Michael Schumacher winning the F1 drivers title have been cut from 9/1 to 6/1 after the news.
Interesting that he was 9/1 even before he’d signed. I’ll throw some cash at Schumacher winning the second race of the year, in Australia.
===
JUST KEEP SMOKING
Tim Blair
March:
Kristy Roshia, a smoker who is trying to quit, has a nicotine patch placed on her arm by New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang.
December:
A woman accused of telling the Secret Service she would “blow away” Michelle Obama is in federal custody as the Obama family planned to travel to Hawaii.

Kristy Lee Roshia, 35, was charged with threatening a family member of the president and assaulting a federal agent after being arrested on Saturday …

(Via Alan R.M. Jones)
===
WE HAVE THE POWER
Tim Blair
Miriam Lyons delivers our instructions:
In October this year the UN named Tinker Bell its ‘Honorary Ambassador of Green’. A cynic might conclude that her appointment was sadly appropriate, given that a binding international agreement to replace Kyoto currently seems as elusive as Never-Neverland.

There’s something strangely fitting about treating JM Barrie’s green-eyed fairy as a metaphor for climate action. The fate of human civilisation now depends less on technical innovation than it does on trust: the level of trust that citizens of the world have in our scientists, our governments and each other to do the right thing. This means that defeatist rhetoric can do material damage. The naysayers and doomsdayers who disbelieve in the potential for individuals and their communities to act altruistically, or who dismiss science-based action as politically unfeasible, actually have the power to kill the climate action fairy.
We’re on to it, Miriam.

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