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Thursday, March 03, 2005 US troop death hits 1500 The number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq has topped 1,500, an Associated Press count showed Thursday after the military announced the deaths of three Americans, while car bombs targeting Iraqi security forces killed at least three people in separate attacks. More. posted by chris at 4:22 PM   ------------------ Wednesday, March 02, 2005 Recycle your plastic water bottles Bottled water is the single largest growth area among all beverages, that includes alcohol, juices and soft drinks. Per capita consumption has more than doubled over the last decade, from 10.5 gallons in 1993 to 22.6 in 2003, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation. The growth has been even more impressive in terms of water bottles sold: from 3.3 billion in 1997 to 15 billion in 2002. But most bottled water is consumed away from home, usually at a park, in an office or even while driving — areas where there's usually no recycling. -clip- Only about 12 percent of "custom" plastic bottles, a category dominated by water, were recycled in 2003, according to industry consultant R.W. Beck, Inc. That's 40 million bottles a day that went into the trash or became litter. In contrast, the recycling rate for plastic soft drink bottles is around 30 percent. The low water bottle recycling rate also impacts the overall recycling rate of all plastic, or PET, products. That's fallen from 53 percent in 1994 to 19 percent in 2003. Plastics should be recycled so that less petroleum — a finite commodity — is consumed, Franklin says. Story. posted by chris at 5:14 PM   The United States is not Russia or is it? posted by chris at 1:48 PM   No support for Bush's social security plans The Senate's top Republican said yesterday that President Bush's bid to restructure Social Security may have to wait until next year and might not involve the individual accounts the White House has been pushing hard. Recent polls show that the American people just aren't buying it. A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Friday to Sunday said 38 percent of Americans feel major changes must be made in Social Security within the next two years. In January, that number was 49 percent... ...Other numbers in the poll don't play out so well for the president, either. Forty-seven percent of those polled trusted the Democratic Party to deal with the issue of Social Security benefits, while 37 percent trusted Republicans. posted by chris at 12:07 PM   ------------------ Tuesday, March 01, 2005 Minors can't be executed The Supreme Court ruled today, in one of the most closely watched capital punishment cases in years, that imposing the death penalty on convicted murderers who were younger than 18 at the time of their crimes is unconstitutional. The 5-to-4 decision, arising from a Missouri case, holds that executing young killers violates "the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society," and that American society has come to regard juveniles as less culpable than adult criminals. We weren't exactly in the best of company on this one: Until today, the United States and Somalia were the only nations that permitted putting teenage criminals to death. posted by chris at 2:18 PM   Lighters banned from airplanes Airline passengers will have to ditch their lighters or lose them to airport security screeners when a new ban on lighters takes effect in April. The ban reflects Congress' fear that lighters could be used to ignite bombs on planes or otherwise damage or destroy them. The Transportation Security Administration until now had banned all types of lighters, except for butane, which were limited to two per passenger. It took them long enough. Guess those cigarett companies put up a big fight cause you can still bring books of matches on board. (via August.) posted by chris at 2:07 PM   ------------------ Monday, February 28, 2005 “The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.”* Today Reps. Henry A. Waxman, Rep. Charles B. Rangel, and Rep. Sander M. Levin, along with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, and Reps. Obey, Miller, and DeLauro, released a new report (.pdf) that shows how the Social Security Administration has modified its communications strategy to undermine public confidence in Social Security. The report, based on a review of over 4,000 pages of Social Security documents from 1995 to 2005, reveals that the agency has systematically altered agency publications, press releases, PowerPoint presentations, website content, and even its annual statements to foster the impression that Social Security is "unsustainable" and "must change." The agency's new pessimistic tone and emphasis echo President Bush's warnings about the future of Social Security. "The job of the Social Security Administration is to run the Social Security program, not to provide political cover for President Bush," said Rep. Waxman. "The agency has sacrificed its independence and abandoned its tradition of nonpartisan administration of Social Security." Some examples: "The Future of Social Security" booklet - which used to begin: "Will Social Security be there for you? Absolutely" - now begins: "Social Security must change." Agency presentations have eliminated statements that assure beneficiaries that "there is no immediate financial crisis." The annual Social Security statement sent to Americans has dropped the assurance that Social Security will "be there when you retire" and no longer encourages Americans to think of Social Security as a "foundation on which to build your financial future." *1984, Geroge Orwell (it's like it's their handbook or something...sheesh!) posted by chris at 1:31 PM   Jumping the shark The battle over Social Security has been joined by an unusual lobbyist, a 9-year-old from Texas who has agreed to travel supporting President Bush's proposal. -clip- In a sign of how far groups go to carry their message on Social Security, Progress for America has signed up Noah, a fourth grader, as a volunteer spokesman. He starts on spring break from James Williams Elementary School in Katy, Tex. Progress for America, which spent almost $45 million backing Mr. Bush last year, plans to lay out $20 million on Social Security this year. It has spent $1 million on television commercials and is working to send experts around the country. Among them are Thomas Saving, a trustee of the Social Security Trust Fund; Rosario Marin, a former United States treasurer; and one really, really young Republican. Noah will not be eligible to collect Social Security for nearly 60 years. Noah will travel to a handful of states ahead of visits by the president and will go on radio programs, answer trivia questions and say a few words about Social Security. Though he is obviously not an expert (and not really a lobbyist, either), officials say the effort is a lighthearted way to underline Mr. Bush's message. As WWDT reminds us, bringing a kid in was a sure sign that a sit-com was headed downhill fast. See: Olivia annoying everyone on The Cosby Show, red-headed Sam joining the family on Different Strokes, adding yet another kid, Cousin Oliver, to the overpopulation at The Brady Bunch, and the birth of Alex's protege, Andrew, on Family Ties. Will reality mimic the wonderful world of sitcoms? Or is it too late to call anything "reality" with these people? posted by chris at 12:53 PM   ------------------

    

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