Saturday's Views on the News

==> I downloaded Firefox, and it's pretty quick compared to Internet Explorer. I like the tabbed browsing, and the ability to browse RSS feeds via the browser. (Sorry Bloglines).

Myths About Drilling in ANWR. Congress is currently deciding whether to add ANWR drilling to the defense appropriations bill. Given the continued high oil prices and political turmoil in many oil-producing nations, now might be the best chance to get ANWR done. But it will happen only if the ANWR myths are exposed.

==> We're a nation that runs on oil. Sure, it'd be wonderful if there were viable alternatives at this point. There are definitely some promising technologies we should utilize as much as possible. But the reality is that we need gasoline. We burn a lot of it. And whatever we can produce at home, we can lower our imports from hostile nations. Even if we sell Alaskan oil overseas, the money we'd gain would pay for oil we buy from someplace else. This is a no brainer. We should continue to drill for oil wherever we can, because we need the oil.

Jessica Simpson files for divorce.

==> Ah, c'mon. Did you expect a Hollywood romance to last? I always wonder if the sole purpose of Hollywood hook-ups is to grab the headlines. Somebody needs to get back in the spotlight, how about an affair, baby, or falling in love?

Bush approves Eavesdropping. President Bush said Saturday he has no intention of stopping his personal authorizations of a post-Sept. 11 secret eavesdropping program in the U.S., lashing out at those involved in revealing it while defending it as crucial to preventing future attacks.

==> I haven't checked the Liberal blogs, but my guess is that their panties are in a bunch over this. These folks were the first to Blame Bush for not acting to stop 9/11 based on their conspiracy theories on what he knew and when he knew it. Now that news comes out that Bush is actually trying to learn in advance of potential terrorist plots, the Liberals don't seem to like that, either. C'mon. You can't have it both ways. I don't like the idea of the government spying on people, either. But I don't like the idea of school busses exploding or planes flying into shopping malls. Which do you prefer?

Ashlee Simpson collapses after show. Ashlee Simpson collapsed following a performance in Tokyo and has been hospitalized. The 21-year-old singer on Thursday had just performed her single, "Boyfriend" for MTV Japan, when she told the audience she felt sick and said to them, "I love you guys," Us Weekly reported Friday. She then collapsed in an elevator and was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.

==> Wow.

Baby Boomers could erase longevity gains. A new government study shows deaths from heart disease, cancer and stroke continue to drop, but it also shows that half of Americans ages 55 to 64 -- including the oldest of the baby boomers -- have high blood pressure, and two in five are obese.

==> I think health care is the number one financial issue facing this country. Obesity is an epidemic in this land of plenty, and there are debilitating diseases associated with being overweight. You know the list, I don't have to tell you. Getting Americans more healthy will lessen the burden on our ability to provide health care. How about a New Year's resolution from all Americans that involves some portion control at the dining room table, and a realistic exercising schedule? It's the little things that compound over the days, weeks, month and year that make a long term difference. Hey, it's like investing that way!

Pudgy Penguins get workout to shed pounds. TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- It's wintertime and the king penguins at a zoo in northern Japan are putting on weight. But the keepers there have a solution: exercise.


==> There you go. See? Even penguins are trying to stay fit. Cute lil' buggers. I like the comment about them standing still during the winter months. If we translated that to human behavior, it'd be sitting on the sofa watching American Idol and NFL games. Same thing, not as cute...