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December 3, 2011

Politics: Israel Lectured On Politics

Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, venturing into Hillary Clinton’s territory, is lecturing a foreign country on politics. In this case, Israel is on the receiving end. According to Panetta, the Jewish State must attempt to establish liaisons with Turkey and Egypt in a mutual defense pact. To our Secretary of Defense, Israel is becoming too isolated in the region.

Gee, really? In case Panetta is unaware, Israel has been isolated since 1948. Leon believes that the probable futility of peace overtures to Arab countries will put Israel on the moral high ground in the international community. Even if Panetta is theoretically correct, given the current make up of the U.N., so what? Politics may sound attractive to an Obama appointee, but in the Middle East a strong defense goes a lot farther.

Check our sources: Fox News

Economy: Jobless Rate Drops

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last month’s jobless rate was the lowest in the past three years. The decrease was due to an increase in private sector hiring that offset the layoffs of Government employees. The growth industries were retail and hospitality. Manufacturing, a source of strength earlier in the recovery, remained unchanged.

Unfortunately, half of the good news is actually bad. Fifty percent of the jobless rate drop was due to people leaving the labor force, meaning they no longer count as unemployed. And, economists predict a reversal of the hiring trend next year when Europe's financial wreckage washes up on our shores. Still, Black Friday’s sale numbers set records, indicating a very merry holiday season for retailers.

Check our sources: Wall Street Journal

Science: Surgery Risky For Skinny

According to a new study, surviving surgery is chancier for underweight people than for the plump among us. Apparently, skinny folks have a higher risk of dying in the first month following a trip to the operating room. Researchers reviewed data on 190,000 patients who underwent a variety of surgeries at 183 hospitals between 2005 and 2006. In the study, the body mass index, or BMI, was used to classify weight categories.

Overall, 1.7 percent of surgical patients died within 30 days after undergoing the surgeon’s knife. The odds of skinny people being among that group were 40% higher than for people in other weight categories. Unfortunately, researches have no explanation for these results. They admit that the sickest people are often underweight, which means that the death risk is higher among those most ill, not underweight per se. But, the real lesson? Just avoid surgery.

Check our sources: Health News

Health: Obesity's Biggest Problem

Speaking of weight, this year 29.5% of Americans over the age of 20 are obese. According to the CDC, this number is an increase of more than one-third over the 2000 obese tally. Our spare tire just keeps ballooning up. It will burst when the nation can no longer afford to treat the myriad of ills caused by gorging our faces.

Today, the annual cost of treating obesity and it’s related diseases and illnesses is 16.5% of national healthcare spending. But, the obese create other costs as well. They miss more days of work, they want bigger cars, bigger seats, bigger everything, which consumes more resources. If current trends continue, half of American adults will be obese by 2020. In terms of healthcare costs alone, that figure will more than offset the savings from the dwindling number of smokers. It’s almost enough to kill your appetite. Almost.

Check our sources: Wall Street Journal

Life: Kennedys Popular Again

Fifty years ago, the Kennedy’s captured the fascination of the American public like no other White House occupants before them. Today, 48 years after John Kennedy’s assassination, that fascination is returning, at least if best selling books are any indication. Three of them are selling like hotcakes. They include taped interviews with Jackie, a biography of sorts of JFK and a novel about the assassination.

The Kennedys’ enduring popularity stems from the assassination. That tragedy overshadows JFK’s lack of presidential accomplishments. And the fact that he was the president who introduced an American presence in Viet Nam. And his persistent infidelities. The impression that remains is the loss of youthful opportunity. Whether or not the nation is really worse off for its lack, most of the public believes that it is. And belief is what we're all about.

Check our sources: USA Today

Animals: Microchips – Maybe?

The Japanese owners of Yosuke, an African Grey parrot, decided to teach their pet to say his full name and address, in case he ever got lost. And he did, learn his name and address and got lost. One day he escaped from his cage and flew away. Found on a neighborhood roof, the parrot spent the night at the local police precinct, where he chose to remain silent.

The next day, he was taken to a veterinary hospital, which got him chatting up a storm. The words he kept repeating were his full name and address. His enunciation was so clear that his family was found without any difficult. A happy reunion followed. So, if your pet can talk, having him recite his name and address works great. For the rest of the animal kingdom, microchips speak volumes.

Check our sources: MSNBC

Extra!
Extra!

A Sunday Talk Show comic with Sidney interviewing persons of interest on the latest topics.