abc

I've been quite absent getting ready for Thanksgiving and the week after.

Pap smears?  Not a subject I'm knowledgeable on, but from past experience I know how important they are.

Afghanistan is the most dangerous place in the world to be born, especially if you're a girl.

I just read The Kite Runner which is a total eye opener about what life was like there before, before the Russians and before the Taliban and before, well before the world ended for that country.

I've added the BBC photo of an Afghan girl to illustrate what is at stake if we leave.  As much as I hate war and guns, as much as I detest those in charge of Afghanistan, I cannot support us leaving this country.  In fact I am strongly in favor of a totally different approach.

Let's plant roots and stay much like we did in Japan, Korea, Germany.  Let's stay and give them the time. possibly generations, to change attitudes and join the modern world.  nh

ABC News

Eight Years Later: 'Most Dangerous Place To Be Born'

ABC’s Nick Schifrin files this sad item from Kabul:

 

In a press conference in Geneva today, the South Asia regional director for UNICEF said this: "Afghanistan today is without a doubt the most dangerous place to be born.”

 

Dan Toole was speaking about UNICEF’s annual report The State of the World’s Children, which is available here(pdf).

 

Toole said Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the world: 257 deaths for every 1,000 live births. He also said a lack of security prevents polio and measles vaccine campaigns and decreases the number of children attending schools, especially girls. 317 schools have been destroyed by the Taliban in the past year, he said, killing 124 people.

 

Here’s another link(pdf) – to drive the point home. This is the actual list of mortality rates around the world.

Tonight, George Orwell’s 1984 becomes a reality in America as ABC NEWS relinquishes its role as an independent American news outlet and fully embraces the position that many of us have suspected it has coveted for awhile. Mark it in your calendars; on the night of June 24, 2009, Charlie Gibson will deliver World News from the Blue Room in the White House, and the media and the federal government will officially become one and the same. After Gibson’s Orwellian moment, ABC will throw caution to the wind and turn its programming over to the POTUS and his groupies as they push for government health care.

On the Brink: Dow Plunges on Fears House Will Not Pass Bailout
Bailout Plan Defeated as Republicans Rebuff President

That is the headline at ABC.  In the body of the piece, Jake Tapper relates that in addition to many Republicans, 95 Democrats voted Nay.  Why then does his headline point the finger solely at the Republicans?

Because ABC, like other so-called journalistic outlets, needs to get themselves into the blame game.  It's no longer good enough to report the news, they also need to become editorial analysts.

Some of the article.

I'll skip the embed because everyone saw the interview already.  Remeber the rest is on 20/20 tonight.

I like the woman.  She obviously knows less about foreign affairs than many of us but I could give a moose pile.  She is also a quick learner and I thought she handled Charlie very well.

As they say no major gaffes.  Hey the spelling checker is working.  I did something right lst night. You have to turn it on.

Anyway.  What do people think of the Palin interviews?

Oh, Travis.  I can name about 400 New Hampshire State Representatives who are more qualified to be President than Barack Obama.