Monday Newsbreak: 12/15

--President Bush, on a surprise final visit to Iraq, suffered the indignity of a shoe attack at a press conference in Baghdad. One of the journalists, whose family had suffered terribly during the war, threw his shoes at the President, shoe-throwing apparently being a major insult in that part of the world. Bush graciously declined the shoes, though, declaring that they were size tens. What a guy!

--Disgraced Illinois governor Blagojevich is probably doing a lot of people a favor these days by hogging the news headlines. Never mind the tanking economy, the severe cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, the wars and famine in central Africa, and the worsening situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The people want to hear about Blago, so that’s what the press is shoveling out to them!

--Speaking of cholera in Zimbabwe, the Mugabe government there has now stooped to accusing Britain of causing the epidemic. As the limbo song goes, “How low can you go?”

--I read in Sunday’s paper that an interstate bicycling road system is in the works. But right now it’s only in the planning stage. Not meant to be done on the scale of our Interstate Highway System, this network should help development of viable bicycle-friendly routes that will enable bicyclists to more safely travel on the open road. But if what they’re planning still involves me sharing the road with monster semi trucks, then thanks but no thanks!

--The University of Florida's Shands Hospital purchased the local Alachua General Hospital a few years ago, renaming it “Shands at Alachua General”. Now they are closing it down, this investment not giving them an acceptable return. Before, Alachua General Hospital served the generally poorer central and eastern side of Gainesville. Now those living there who need emergency room care will have to go to already-crowded Shands down the road. Meanwhile, Shands is constructing a large building called “Shands Sleep Disorders Center at Magnolia Parke”. Not that I think sleep disorders are trivial, but it seems that Shands has its priorities more than a little screwed up!

--The NFL's Miami Dolphins continued their stunning one-year turnaround by improving to 9-5 and a tie for first place. If they win their last two games, they’re in the playoffs. Unbelievable!