Wrong side of the bed

I woke up today a little emotionally…delicate. I woke up to this:

Middle East on weapons-buying binge

Deep fears about the war in Iraq and growing tension between the United States and Iran are driving the wealthy oil states of the Persian Gulf to go on shopping sprees for helicopters, ships and tanks, officials say.

Some 900 weapons makers and security firms from around the world, including the U.S. and Russia, will compete for those military buys at the IDEX military show that opens Sunday in Abu Dhabi. At stake are contracts predicted to soar past the $2 billion signed at the last such show two years ago. Need more?

and this

Warmest January ever recorded on Earth

World temperatures in January were the highest ever recorded for that month of the year, US government scientists said.

“The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the highest for any January on record,” according to scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climate Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Need more?

and this

Bush reduces spending on health insurance for kids

Bush is seeking a $223 million reduction in spending for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and elimination of a preventive health services block grant program, $99 million a year to the states, used for obesity prevention and programs for chronic health conditions.

He’s also seeking millions in reductions for the National Cancer Institute, at the very moment some progress has been made in fighting cancer, and for the Center for Disease Control for disease surveillance monitoring of bird flu and other approaching epidemics.

Imagine for a moment how else we could have spent $589 billion, the amount already devoured by the war in Iraq plus the administration’s funding request for the next two years.

With those same dollars you could buy health insurance for 139 million people, all of the nation’s uninsured for the next three years. Or you could fund the current federal program of spending on HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs for the next 60 years. Or you could cover the cost of educating an additional 39.2 million registered nurses.

To make matters worse, there’s the recent disclosures about the horrifying, long term costs of caring for our nation’s war wounded. Do you really need more?

Enough you say?

Oh, but the House (including 17 whole Republicans) said they “disapproved” of Bushy’s surge plans. Too little too late for the fresh piles of dirt at Arlington. Read it and weep. No, really, dammit.

Now take a look at Bite-sized Activism. I’m going back to bed.

Have a nice day.

I woke up today a little emotionally...delicate. I woke up to this: Middle East on weapons-buying binge Deep fears about the war in Iraq and growing tension between the United States and Iran are driving the wealthy oil states of the Persian Gulf to go on shopping sprees for helicopters, ships and tanks, officials say. Some 900 weapons makers and security firms from around the world, including the U.S. and Russia, will compete for those military buys at the IDEX military show that opens Sunday in Abu Dhabi. At stake are contracts predicted to soar past the $2 billion signed at the last such show two years ago. Need more? and this Warmest January ever recorded on Earth World temperatures in January were the highest ever recorded for that month of the year, US government scientists said. "The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the highest for any January on record," according to scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climate Data Cen