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The Problems with Socialized Health Care AustraliaAustralia's universal health care scheme is relatively new (introduced in 1983, which built on the 1974 Medibank program). As with all socialized health care systems, there is a mixture of public versus private care (approximately 30% of Australians also retain private health insurance). As a result, the private patients receive better care than their medicare counterparts. The salary caps and artificial increase in demand for care that always occur in a national health care system are resulting in predictable physician shortages. Mental patients face bed shortage - Clara Pirani, July 4, 2005 [News.com.au] Public...

Dumb Headlines

Evangelical minister Rick Warren brought a message of unity and civility to some 1,400 people who attended the city's annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, avoiding mention of his opposition to gay marriage and abortion. Warren, pastor of Orange County's Saddleback Church and author of the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life," acknowledged that "sometimes I'm a little controversial." But as in his recent invocation at President Barack Obama's inauguration, he preached on the universal themes of God's love and service to the poor. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was less circumspect, acknowledging his support of gay marriage and "a woman's right to...

Pirate Standoff Ended--Government Meets Ransom Demands Paulson Plan Passes--Nigerian E-Mailers Jealous Remember When $700 Billion Was A Lot Of Money?New Deal 2008: A Taxpayer in Every PotFree-Market Capitalism Replaced By Rigged-Market Socialism Billions for Plutocrats, Not a Penny to pay down the DebtGreed and Ignorance Rewarded, More to Follow...Constitution? What's That?Ronald Reagan Has Left The BuildingRepublicrats Claim Victory, Demicans Beg To DifferCrisis Averted, On To The Next OneFinal Score: Robber Barons 700,000,000,000 American Taxpayers 0

Since McPalin is on a roll of late, I figured I would help the MSM prep headlines for an Obama loss: Surprised: O CRAP Pessimistic: AMERICA SAYS NOPE TO HOPE Historical: I HAVE A DRUBBING Persistent: BARACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD Youthful: BAROCKED Disappointed: OBUMMER WoT: OBAMA LOSES, TERRORISTS SADDENED New York Time-ish ELECTION STOLEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN HARDEST HIT Race card: RACIST RED STATES ROB ROCK STAR Denial: OBAMA WINS! OBAMA WINS! McCAIN TO LIVE IN WHITEHOUSE Hollywood: A STAR IS ABORTED Geeky: OBAMA PWNED Messianic: LIGHTS OUT ON THE LIGHTWORKER Liberation theology: OBAMA CRUCIFIED BY THE McMAN Media-centric:...

10/9/2007 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Multiple Grammy-award winner LeAnn Rimes recalls her fondest holiday memories as the featured artist in the "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special to be released in November. Produced and marketed by the Air Force Recruiting Service's strategic cmmunications division, the one-hour show features an in-depth interview with Ms. Rimes along with songs from her holiday album and new release, "Family." In its 13th year, the program is sent to more than 3,300 country radio stations throughout the nation in late November and broadcast worldwide over American Forces Radio...

Many married women choose to hyphenate their married name and maiden name. But there are times when you just shouldn't!! [see link slideshow]

A US Air Force sergeant who appears nude in the latest edition of Playboy magazine has been stood down from duties as an investigation begins. Michelle Manhart, 30, is pictured in a range of poses, some while wearing uniform and striking a military pose, others while stripped naked. The air force said in a statement her actions "does not meet the high standards we expect of our airmen". Ms Manhart said she did not expect to be disciplined and defended the photos. Ms Manhart, who is married with two children, appears in the February issue of Playboy's US edition....

Many people believe you couldn't have found a more conservative, religious and docile town in America than Greeley in 1949. There were many churches, and no bars or liquor stores allowed in town. But a six-month stay here in Greeley by an Egyptian student in 1949 made him so angry that he wrote books to express his anti-American diatribe. His name was Sayyid Qutb (SIGH-yid KUH tahb) and he became one of the founders of Islamic terrorism. Television specials, literary magazines, stories in major newspapers, thousands of blogs and now a new book have noted Greeley's influence on the man...

ATLANTA - Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor considered a potential 2008 candidate for president, headlined a fundraiser Thursday for former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed in his run for Georgia lieutenant governor. The two politicians were effusive in their praise for one another as they entered the Atlanta fundraiser just before noon. "I just want to say I believe Rudy Giuliani is one of the finest leaders in not only the Republican Party but in either party," Reed said. Giuliani responded: "We're here to get you elected. It would be a great thing for Georgia." Reed's campaign was...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state GOP collected an estimated $2.5 million Monday at a fundraiser headlined by Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), as scores of union members protested outside the event calling for the governor's ouster in November. For Schwarzenegger, the closed-door dinner begins to replenish a political fund drained last year by his costly and losing campaign to enact ballot proposals to slow state spending and curb public union power in Sacramento. Top donors kicked in as much as $100,000 to attend the dinner and reception. But the event was reminiscent of...

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito told senators Monday that good judges don't have an agenda, don't look for partisan outcomes and always "do what the law requires" as the Senate opened hearings on President Bush's choice for the high court. "A judge can't have any agenda. A judge can't have a preferred outcome in any particular case," Alito told the Judiciary Committee in a brief statement in which he made a distinction between judges and attorneys working for clients. His motive for shooting John Paul in the abdomen on May 13, 1981, remains unclear.

Burglaries, car thefts and other crimes have more than halved since Israelis began gluing themselves to television sets for news on the health of Ariel Sharon, their ailing Prime Minister. Doctors treating Mr Sharon said today that they had detected a slight improvement in his brain function as they try to rouse him gradually from a medically-induced coma. Dr Shlomo Mor-Yosef, director of the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem, said that Mr Sharon had moved his left hand for the first time and had managed to move his right arm and leg more than in an initial stimulus test on Monday....

The Good Party members at The People's Cube (they that are of Communist for Kerry fame) amused me today. be sure to follow the link to generate your own Top 10 New York Times Headlines in 2006 Robust economy, high employment detrimental to the environment Baghdad dilemma: not enough abortion clinics Rebuilding of roads in Afghanistan leads to more traffic accidents US-made purple ink causes rash, fever: thousands of Iraqi voters hospitalized Freedom in Iraq linked to larger hole in ozone layer Iraqi parents: US-built schools cause child obesity Open political debate in Iraq triggers nation-wide laryngitis epidemic. Who will...

I was just listening to a radio talk show promo and the background was a clip from a story which, when it broke, was "HORRIFIC"! It was the 'laser aimed at the pilot' story. That story, while considered "HORRIFIC" at the time was only in the limelight for a day or so. How many headline news stories only lasted a day. Can you FReepers add others?

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA ((You're not in Kansas anymore)) How the Bush administration got spooked By Tom Engelhardt It's finally Wizard of Oz time in America. You know - that moment when the curtains are pulled back, the fearsome-looking wizard wreathed in all that billowing smoke turns out to be some pitiful little guy, and everybody looks around sheepishly, wondering why they acted as they did for so long. Starting on September 11, 2001 - with a monstrous helping hand from Osama bin Laden - the Bush administration played the fear card with unbelievable effectiveness. For years, with its companion "war...

Pop queen Madonna is ecstatic to be back on stage, especially so soon after a horse riding accident which she said had threatened her performing career. Speaking to Reuters after the first live televised performance of her new single "Hung Up," the 47-year-old American appeared to have lost little of her desire to please the crowd. "After I fell off my horse it was amazing to be able to get up and dance," she said backstage on Thursday at the MTV Europe Music Awards, where she kicked off the Lisbon show with an energetic display in purple boots and matching...

thanks to carla!:   Headlines from the year 2029!   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formally known as California. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baby conceived naturally - -   scientists stumped. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Castro finally dies at age...

Immigration is a line-in-the-sand story topic that tends to raise the emotions of Americans on either side of the issue, particularly in light of 9/11. Consequently, it's imperative that any story on the subject be reported accurately and with balance, lest the readers' representative get calls and e-mails charging bias. On that note, I've already heard from readers regarding the stories about the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and their plans to send observers to Houston in October to patrol for illegal immigrants. Two specific complaints stand out: The use of the word "militia" in a subhead on a story published...

LONDON -- Amnesty International has released its most searing attack on the United States yet, with its newest report, "Treatment of Saddam Hussein in Prison: Slow Death by Junk Food." Amnesty's Secretary General, Irene Khan, issued the report this morning, calling reports that Saddam Hussein is being given Doritos and Cheetos in prison "more proof of U.S. torture, cruelty, and inhumane and barbaric treatment of detainees throughout the world." Khan cited the feeding of junk food to Saddam as "a desire on the part of the United States to get him addicted to high-fat and high-calorie food, in order to...