Good Morning, Earth!

The news this morning:

A Dutch study lays the groundwork for more generational warfare.

The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.

On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than the healthy people.

Cancer incidence, except for lung cancer, was the same in all three groups. Obese people had the most diabetes, and healthy people had the most strokes. Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on.

The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000.

The results counter the common perception that preventing obesity will save health systems worldwide millions of dollars.

Fat people and smokers are off the hook; the evil eye is turned towards the old.

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American Soap Opera.

Brittany Spears Father Appointed as Conservator

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears' father was granted control of her finances until Valentine's Day by a judge who also barred the troubled pop star from contacting her friend and sometime manager, Sam Lutfi.

Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz also appointed a physician Monday to evaluate whether Spears, who is in a psychiatric ward, is competent to make decisions.

Her father, James Spears, and an attorney were granted conservatorship last week after the 26-year-old was hospitalized for the second time in two months following increasingly bizarre behavior.

The commissioner extended that conservatorship until Feb. 14. It allows Spears' father, and attorney Andrew Wallet, to make decisions involving the singer's assets and even who enters her home.

The commissioner also tried to further distance Spears from Lutfi, who sometimes spoke on her behalf and had been seen escorting her about town.

Spears was ordered to have no contact with him by phone, texting, or any other means.

Meanwhile a lawyer appeared out of the mist claiming that Brittany hired him to represent her. I say, just let the family take care of things for a couple of weeks until the idiot gets out. Obviously, these other people; the agents, the lawyers, the posse couldn't keep the girl out trouble. Let them "chill out" for a while.

America at its finest.

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"Phftt, phfttt. I spit on this budget. My wipe my ...with this paper."

Democrats, some in GOP look askance at Bush's budget priorities

WASHINGTON — Democrats, already looking ahead to the next White House occupant, quickly relegated President Bush's final budget to the ash bin of history, saying his proposals to rein in spending on programs are untenable and won't happen.

Even the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, invoked a note of reality. "Let's face it. This budget is done with the understanding that nobody's going to be taking a long, hard look at it."

It's hilarious. Democrats as fiscal conservatives!? Give me a break! Of course, to be fair, the article noted that this is a bipartisan disdain for the lame duck.

What really concerns me is the idea held by too many people that we can have more and more health insurance, health care, retirement benefits, welfare benefits, arts, culture, welfare, childcare, etc, etc etc. I mean, sure, we can have those wonderful benefits, but someone has to pay for them. Remember. "Gas, grass or ass. Nobody Rides For Free"? There is no free ride. Someone is going to pay.

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This ain't no party, this aint no disco, this ain't no foolin' around!

All this business about crying for Republican Unity even before Super Tuesday strikes as a bit premature. Hey! It's the Republican Primary. I say let's have it all out in the open. The Bush wing of the Party want to boil the campaign down to a single issue; the woah. They insist that McCain is the man most capable of defending America, after all, in case you didn't know, he was a Vietnam war hero. That, in itself should be reason enough but do not forget that he supported the surge.

The anti-McCain wing of the party say that McCain As a Reagan "foot soldier" sucks. He's been everything but conservative and they aren't above making a scene in public. It's a bit like watching your family having a big time meltdown right in the middle of dinner at Maggianos or in Hannity's case, Ruth's Cris Steak House. You just want to crawl under the table.

I know its ugly, but we should let the internecine party war play out, after all, these are primary elections for the Presdential nominee. And more than that, a struggle for the soul of the party. Conservatives are making a stand at the Alamo to prevent the party apparachiks from moving the party towards the left. If Republicans want to compromise their conservative principles for power, so be it, the country will move away from the two party system and the Dems will also fracture. I wouldn't bet on any of this happening but no one has a crystal ball.