TRUFFULAUT #21

http://home.earthlink.net/~truffulaut/id32.html

4 September 2004

LATE-BREAKING NEWS

MEDICARE PREMIUMS TO RISE 17 PERCENT

"This is a cynical attempt to bury bad news by leaking it out when you hope no one is watching," said Representative Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-California). "This administration has had four years to improve Medicare and instead have made it worse. Today's news reflects the reality, not rhetoric, of this administration's bad record on Medicare."

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/9575501.htm

CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES

On March 25, 2004, Dr Mark McClellan was sworn in as CMS Administrator.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

PETE STARK

He needs our help words of encouragement, money, etc.

http://www.house.gov/stark/

http://www.petestark.com/

SCIENCE

PEW OCEANS COMMISSION RELEASES FINAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

...calls for immediate reform of U.S. ocean laws and policies to restore ocean wildlife, protect ocean ecosystems, and preserve the ecological, economic, and social benefits the oceans provide.

http://www.pewoceans.org/

THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON OCEAN POLICY

...the Commission unanimously approved its Draft Final Report and directed staff to prepare the report for delivery to the President and Congress within the next several weeks.

http://www.oceancommission.gov/

EXPERT WARNS OF DEVASTATION UNLEASHED BY COLLAPSING VOLCANO

A chunk of a volcano in the Canary Islands the size of the Isle of Man is on the brink of falling into the sea, a leading expert warned.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3318282

...there is no indication it could happen soon...

http://www.hypography.com/article.cfm?id=31610

CANARY ISLANDS INFORMATION PAGE

http://www.csi.ull.es/~sande/canary.html

LOVE & DEATH

The initial post mortem results have revealed that she died as a result of internal bleeding, caused by a fall in the enclosure while she was attempting to scale the wall to get into the male enclosure.

http://www.londonzoo.co.uk/news/n_0000001645.asp

REAL SCIENTISTS CRITICIZE BUSH

...more than 60 leading scientists -- including Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors and university chairs and presidents -- issued a statement calling for regulatory and legislative action to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking. According to the scientists, the Bush administration has, among other abuses, suppressed and distorted scientific analysis from federal agencies, and taken actions that have undermined the quality of scientific advisory panels.

POLITICS

ANOTHER REPUBLICAN FOR KERRY

Over the past 30 years, the most extreme conservative elements in this country have become masters at selecting words and crafting messages. By spinning the facts, staying on message, and using certain words over and over, they've managed to define our national dialogue If you want John Kerry to take back the White House and put America back on track, you need to take back the English language.

http://www.anotherrepublicanforkerry.com/tutorial/

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Truffulaut supports the continuation of the Electoral College -- without it, California, for example, would out-vote Wyoming 55 to 1 instead of 18 to 1. But all is not well! Each state should change its method of selecting electors so that it is no longer "winner take all." Currently Nebraska and Maine allocate electors proportionately. All states have the authority under the Constitution to do the same. Rather than amend the Constitution, Truffulaut recommends that committees of concerned citizens organize nation-wide and elect representatives who will make this much-needed change. Once the Constitution is put on the table, we are a lot more likely to lose than to gain. Some will agree and some will disagree, but we all should hope that the 2004 election will be decided by the Electoral College and not by the Supreme Court, and it helps to know how it works.

http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/faq.html

PEOPLE

RUSSIAN NEO-NAZIS

"We don't consider ourselves Russian," Alexei says. "We belong to the white race!"

http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/0,13005,901040809-674718,00.html?cnn=yes

FOURTEEN-YEAR OLD GIRL REPRIMANDS TONY BLAIR IN OPEN LETTER

...I don't just blame Gordon's death on the Iraqis that made the roadside bomb, I blame YOU as well because it is your fault that our soldiers are over there in the first place, by agreeing with George Bush that we HAD to go to war, when we didn't!

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=553319

BLAIRS LETTER TO DEAD SOLDIERS MOTHER

I was uncertain, having read your comments in the newspapers, whether you would resent my writing to you.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=553320

LEARNING HOW TO BE AMERICAN

In preparation for their first trip overseas, he set up the classroom like an airplane so they could learn how the seating charts work and know where to sit.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/08/25/thailand.hmong/index.html

http://www.thamkrabok.org/

RETIRING REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE SAYS WAR IN IRAQ WAS UNJUSTIFIED

"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action," Bereuter wrote in a letter to constituents in the final days of his congressional career.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/08/18/top_story/10053833.txt

ANOTHER REPUBLICAN FOR KERRY

Calling the decision to drop his position one of the five hardest he has had to make in his life, Walters said he plans to cast his first-ever vote for a Democrat for president in November.

http://www.ktok.com/script/headline_newsmanager.php?id=343572&pagecontent=nationalnews&feed_id=59

COMEDY

BUSH: THE MISSING YEARS

"He was sketchy but charming," Donahue recalled. "The girls loved him. Everyone loved him. I assumed he was CIA."

http://us.gq.com/features/content/printables/040727feco_02/?pagination=none

THE SECRET LIFE OF G.W. BUSH, ACCORDING TO GQ

Isn't that a bare-chested George W. Bush cavorting with Saigon bar girls in 1972?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/02/DDGF780BEP1.DTL

[REALITY CHECK - The White House has released hundreds of pages of records, but the files released so far haven't answered those questions. Since the documents were released in February, at least a half-dozen news organizations, including USA TODAY, have filed new requests for Bush's military records under the Freedom of Information Act.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-08-23-bush-service_x.htm]

WILL FARRELL AS GW

Something to counter the hate-filled ads directed at Senator Kerry by Nixon-era dirty tricksters:

http://whitehousewest.com/

TRUFFULAUT #21

4 September 2004

POLITICS

PEOPLE

COMEDY

PAX

TRUFFULAUT