Eideard

For many residents of this liberal bastion, President Bush’s name is mud. Now activists here want to make that moniker stick.

A group calling itself the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco this week submitted a proposal to rename a sewage treatment plant after the outgoing chief executive in recognition of the political and environmental “mess” they say will be his legacy.

Supporters submitted 12,000 signatures with San Francisco election officials, hoping to place on the ballot an initiative that would rechristen the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

“We think this is a fitting tribute to this president,” said Brian McConnell, a member of the group, whose insignia shows the presidential seal with a bald eagle holding two plungers…

Sadly, we have no shortage of politicians who deserve such a memorial. Bush simply is the worst of an American tradition of corruption and cronyism.

Britain’s ability to sustain campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan was called into question last night as it emerged that almost half of all military personnel are ready to quit.

The first survey to assess attitudes across the Armed Forces reveals unprecedented levels of concern over equipment, morale and pay. It found that the sense of overcommitment means that 47 per cent of soldiers and army officers think regularly of handing in their resignations…

Hand in their resignations?! Try that in Uncle Sugar’s volunteer army.

Dissatisfaction with equipment and resources was also a common theme, reflecting the criticisms voiced by coroners. Andrew Walker, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, has attacked the MoD numerous times during soldiers’ inquests for failing to provide enough of the right equipment to protect the troops.

One factor none of these surveys ever wishes to confront is the understanding among rank-and-file troops is that they were lied to when they joined up. They were lied to about why they were sent into war. They continue to be lied to about the resolution of foreign wars.

Experts said the slow digestive system of cows makes them a key producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide.

In a bid to understand the impact of the wind produced by cows on global warming, scientists collected gas from their stomachs in plastic tanks attached to their backs.

The Argentine researchers discovered methane from cows accounts for more than 30 per cent of the country’s total greenhouse emissions…

Scientists are now carrying out trials of new diets designed to improve cows’s digestion and hopefully reduce global warming. Silvia Valtorta, of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations, said that by feeding cows clover and alfalfa instead of grain “you can reduce methane emissions by 25 percent”.

I can think of a few politicians who might advance the cause of science with one of these tanks plugged into their whatchmacallit.

Recently developed “touch DNA” technology has cleared all members of JonBenet Ramsey’s family of her slaying, authorities said Wednesday.

Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy said no one in the Ramsey family is considered a suspect and formally apologized in a letter to John Ramsey for the cloud of suspicion his family has lived under for nearly 12 years.

“To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry,” Lacy wrote.

Instead, DNA tests conducted earlier this year point to an “unknown male,” in the 6-year-old child beauty pageant contestant’s December 1996 slaying.

Now, when will CNN publicly apologize to the Ramseys for keeping Nancy Grace on the payroll – after she ceaselessly blathered about the Ramseys for months and years?

Thanks, K B

A study by senior U.S. military leaders urges the end to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gays serving in the armed forces…

Key findings include the policy prevents some gay service personnel from performing their duties, gays already serve openly and “military attitudes” toward gays and lesbians are changing.

“Evidence shows that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly is unlikely to pose any significant risk to morale, good order, discipline or cohesion,” the report said.

The report by retired military personnel recommended Congress return authority for personnel policy under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law to the Defense Department. In addition, the report recommended that Defense Department directives’ language be neutral regarding sexual orientation and set up safeguards to maintain confidentiality between service members and chaplains, doctors and mental health professionals…

The one-word answer is “overdue”.

Law, culture, rules and regulations mandating 2nd-class citizenship should have disappeared along with the 19th century minds that still believe them. There is no justification for denying equal opportunity, equal rights to anyone.

Is that clear enough?

The Fox Business Network and The Wall Street Journal, two siblings in the News Corp. family, are contractually restricted in what resources they can share. But they have taken another step toward family unity by announcing that the personal technology columnist Walt Mossberg will be a regular contributor to the upstart cable channel.

The announcement makes Mossberg, who writes two columns for The Wall Street Journal, the most prominent person from the newspaper to contribute to the cable channel, created by News Corp. last October, about the same time that it was buying Dow Jones.

A 15-year contract that extends until 2012 between CNBC, the dominant business channel, and The Journal prevents many Journal reporters from appearing on Fox Business programs…

“As long as we stay away from branded, regularly scheduled segments of business news, we’re safe,” Kevin Magee, an executive vice president at Fox News, said in an interview. “Breaking news is fine and nonbusiness news is fine.”

It’s beginning to look as if Murdoch realize the “fair and balanced” crap act needs to be abandoned to grow to an all-encompassing market. You can’t count on selling sophisticated biz news to NASCAR reality junkies. And as business TV goes, FBN is a mediocrity.

The beach police are already a bit looney!

A British woman could be jailed for up to six years in Dubai after she was allegedly caught having sex on a beach.

The woman, said to be 30, was arrested after a police officer reportedly twice found her having sex with a British man on Jumeirah Beach.

She has reportedly been charged with having sex outside marriage, indecent behaviour in public, being drunk in public and assaulting a police officer.

A UK government website says that public displays of affection are frowned upon in the UAE and there have been several arrests for kissing in public. Sex outside marriage is illegal, as is cohabitation, adultery and homosexual behaviour.

I can’t think of what to say that might be witty and brash. The hypocrisy embedded within the spirit of theocratic states and their police is generally beyond humor.