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Front Page: UN Chief Offers Emergency G-8, Poll Finds 15% Happy With Country's Direction, China's Growth Rate Slows

CitizenSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:56:14 -0700

UN Chief On Emergency G-8:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has offered to host an emergency G-8 summit at the UN to discuss the global financial crisis. Backing Sarkozy's appeal for world leaders to act together and meet by December, Ban said, "Such a format will allow us to more effectively act upon this crisis which requires a global solution through cohesive international partnership."

15% Happy With Country's Direction:
An AP/Yahoo poll just released found the number of people who believe the country is moving in the right direction has fallen from 28 percent last month to 15 percent this month. Respondents gave President Bush a 25 percent approval rating and nearly half of those in their 30s and 40s are worried about losing their jobs.

China's Growth Rate Slows:
The growth rate of China's economy has fallen for the third straight quarter to 9 percent, down from 10.1 percent in the previous quarter. A spokesman for the statistics department said of the trend, "The growth rate of the world economy has slowed down noticeably. There are more uncertain and volatile factors in the international economic climate. All these factors have started to release their negative impact on China's economy."

Developing Economies Don't Back G-8 Emissions Goal

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:55:18 -0700

Developing Economies Don't Back G-8 Emissions Goal
A day after the G-8 set a goal of halving heat-trapping emissions that contribute to global warming by 2050, a US-led, 17-member group including developing nations issued a final statement: "We support a shared vision for long-term cooperative action, including a long-term global goal for emission reductions, that assures growth, prosperity, and other aspects of sustainable development," though stopped short of supporting the 50 percent reduction by 2050.

George W. Bush Is Getting Results, Even If No One Notices

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:00:11 -0700

I'm sending around an apology card for everyone to sign — it seems a lot of us have been selling Bush short. In an editorial opinion from the Wall Street Journal (newly purchased by Rupert Murdoch) Bush’s commitment to helping the poor and sick abroad has been largely ignored. The piece asserts that once the G-8 summit, now wrapping up, completes its country tally on who is providing the most money to combat disease and hunger, the US will emerge as the conclusive leader — thanks in large part to Bush.

According to the piece, AIDS relief is booming. Before President Bush launched his Emergency Program for AIDS Relief in 2003, only about 50,000 afflicted in sub-Saharan Africa were getting medical treatments. Since the implementation of his plan, the program has expanded to $15 billion reaching an estimated 1.5 million people. And then there's this big rock we call home. To see how Bush's environmental leadership has been overlooked,

Front Page: G-8 on Energy, Climate, and Africa, Women Bishops Allowed, Free Gas For Life

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:56:55 -0700

G-8 on Energy, Climate, and Africa:
Amid protests, the leaders of the G-8 economic powers acknowledged today that rising food and oil prices will affect world growth, but they're optimistic that the global economy will snap back. Calling on petroleum suppliers to boost production, they expressed their "strong concern" over commodity prices. Then the G-8 confirmed a goal to cut global greenhouse gases by 50 percent by 2050, with additional goals for developing countries. Divisions came during a meeting with African leaders over the situation in Zimbabwe, with the US and Britain proposing an arms embargo and the African leaders promoting a power-sharing agreement.

Women Bishops Allowed:
The governing body of the Anglican Church in Britain voted yesterday to approve the appointment of women as bishops in the church. It's a step that could risk a schism in the church while still battling the most serious threat to its unity over allowing gay clergy members. The vote in favor of women came 16 years after similar debate to approve the ordination of women as ministers within the British church.
Free Gas For Life:
The Florida Lottery has instituted an attractive second place prize in response to climbing oil prices — free gas for life. Players consider the prize more attractive than the cash grand prize. With the average price over $4 a gallon, one Floridian said we've hit a tipping point where, "gas has become more precious than cash now."

Bush Says "Yo Harper. . . Medvedev's a 'Smart Guy'" Well Said?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:45:09 -0700

The G-8 Summit is well under way — the dominant stories heading out of the talks settle around the speaking style of the Decider in Chief, George W. Bush. Known for his colloquial folksiness and rampant nicknamery, a few such quotes have surfaced today.Bush sat down to meet with Dmitry Medvedev on the occasion of the Russian leader's first face-to-face meeting with Bush. At the conclusion of the hour meeting, the two had agreed on the need for Iran and North Korea to dump their nuclear ambitions — though stopped short of bridging their differences on Bush's proposal to build a missile-defense system in Europe. But the money quote circulating after the diplomatic meeting is this: “You know, I’m not going to sit here and psychoanalyze the man, but I will tell you that he’s very comfortable, he’s confident, and that I believe that when he tells me something, he means it. . . . I found him to be a smart guy who understood the issues very well.”

And then there's the second "yo" heard 'round the world. Reporters are tittering after President Bush slung an arm around the shoulders of the Nigerian President and called out to get the attention of the Canadian Prime Minister, "Yo, Harper. The president of Nigeria." It's not the first time such casual lingo seeped into high-level talks (the first caused quite a stir) but does it make a bigger statement about the perception of the US on the world stage? Do two "yo"s make a right? Source

Bush Says "Yo Harper. . . Medvedev's a 'Smart Guy'" Well Said?

Casual speech like "yo" shows confidence. It doesn't reflect poorly on the US at all.

I see why the media picked up on it, though it's too bad that's the focus of the coverage.

Speaking like that shows a lack of respect for the proceedings and makes me cringe.

Other. I've got a few "yo"s of my own for the comments, smart guy.

The Way We Became the G-8 Bunch: The Summit Episode

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:00:33 -0700

The G-8 Summit gets underway in Hakkaido, Japan today; a three-day meeting of the leaders of the eight countries invited, plus a representative of the European Union.
Grown from the concept of a forum of the major industrialized democracies after the 1973 oil crisis, more have been invited until 1997 when the last member, Russia, was invited at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton.

The guest list is at the edge of controversy this year, as major climate issues are at hand, and two of the worst polluters (China and India) aren't invited. Here's who is (top to bottom, left to right):

Marcia Brady: United Kingdom, Gordon Brown
Jan Brady: United States, George W Bush
Cindy Brady: Germany, Angela Merkel
Carol Brady: Canada, Stephen Harper
Ann B. Davis as Alice: European Union, Jose Manuel Barroso
Mike Brady: Japan, Yasuo Fukada
Greg Brady (Johnny Bravo): France Nicolas Sarkozy
Peter Brady: Russia, Dmitry Medvedev
Bobby Brady: Italy, Silvio Berlusconi

What's going to happen in this very special episode of the G-8 bunch? Well, no one's going to find a Tiki idol or Vincent Price in a cave, but some other important stuff instead. To find out,