Scribbles and Bits

So how are we doing as a nation at the close of the Bush presidency.  Take a look at these statistics reflecting the USA’s place in the world according to a number of vital parameters for an established and developed nation.  All of these scores were culled from another site that had compiled them throughout the Bush years, some of them have worsened over the past few years.

What will it take to make America truthfully, “the greatest nation on the earth?”

1) Adult Literacy:
USA #9, Sweden #1, Norway #2

2) Healthcare Quality Index:
USA #37, #1 France, #2 Italy

3) Student Reading Ability:
USA #12, Finland #1, South Korea #2

4) Student Problem Solving Ability:
USA #26, South Korea #1, Finland #2

5) Student Ranking on Mathematics Ability:
USA #24, Hong Kong #1, Finland #2

6) Student Ranking on Science Ability:
USA #19, Finland #1, Japan #2

7) USA Ranking on Life Expectancy:
USA #29, Japan #1, Hong Kong #2

8) USA Ranking on Political Corruption Index:
USA #17, Iceland #1, Finland #2

9) USA Ranking on Environmental Sustainability Index:
USA #45, Finland #1, Norway #2

10) USA Ranking on Infant Mortality:
USA #32, Sweden #1, Finland #2

Jim Carrey entertained beach goers in Malibu recently by donning partner, Jenny McCarthy’s swimsuit.  I’d say that the outfit has a certain retro look, and perhaps even harks back to simpler times.

Above: What men wore to the beach in the 1920s and 30s.

Wondering what to do with all those leftover party balloons?

Don’t miss the video of Oregonion, Kent Couch’s launch for a 200 mile journey across the Oregon desert!  He made it successfully, unlike the tragic flight of Brazilian Priest, Adelir de Carli whose body was recently found 100 km off the Brazilian coast after his helium balloon powered lawnchair was caught by high winds.

President Yahya Jammeh has vowed to cut off the heads of those who practice homosexuality in Gambia. He maintains that Gambia is a nation of believers, a Muslim country, and homosexuality will not be tolerated. As of today he has given homosexuals “24 hours to get out of Gambia” and has ordered all landlords to evict all homosexuals. Those giving homosexuals lodging will be punished and commercial establishments will be closed down. Afrol News notes that many gays had already moved to Mauritania after a previous crackdown.

Some members of his government are reportedly, albeit quietly, wondering whether he is insane. Even quiet wondering is a bold move in a nation whose despotic star is just beginning to ascend, and where the press has uniformly (and safely) praised him for his medical marvels such as the time last year when he had declared that he had devised a cure for aids (Read “The Quack in Gambia”).

What are we to make of this man’s approach?  Some might feel that while extreme, Jammeh’s approach is typical of religion, inflexible, intolerant, and tyrannical.  I would argue that not all “people of the book,” share his view and that most would soundly condemn his viewpoint.  A Christian approach for example, must always begin its address to a serious issue with the good news.

A new Canada West foundation study has been published this month concerning public spending priorities.

When Canadians in the four western provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and manitoba were asked to rate their priorities for public spending according to a 5 point Likert scale, their top 3 for increased spending were in the areas of healthcare, the environment, and reduction of poverty.  Healthcare was the only area to be awarded a “very high” rating by a majority of Western Canadians.

Interesting findings include greater support for creating employment opportunities for aboriginal peoples than for importing foreign workers. Sixty percent agree that the economy should be left to the free market and of these, only around 16% felt strongly so.  Eighty percent felt that some sort of protections should be in place for rural economies. Ninety per cent support increased government spending for research and development but only 40% felt strongly so.

A PDF copy of the Canada West foundation study is available here.