Belgian war minister drunk, messenger blogger shot

This is a Belgian TV video about the minister of defence getting drunk in New York City.

By Robin Wauters on TechCrunch:

When Everyone Is A Blogger, Nothing You Say Is Off The Record

There’s a lot of buzz here in the Belgian blogosphere and mainstream media about an incident involving a New York-based blogger, who was fired from her job as a bartender after publishing a post on the bar visit of a Belgian politician.

Current Belgian Minister of Defense Pieter De Crem apparently stumbled into a Belgian bar in New York City on Monday evening with his entourage. Following his visit, bartender Nathalie Lubbe Bakker blogged about their visit (in Dutch), talking about how disgusted she was of how drunk De Crem was and how embarrassed she was about his behavior. Worst part, she wrote, was the fact that one of the politician’s advisors admitted to her that the meetings they were there for on taxpayer’s money were in fact canceled because the UN was meeting in Geneva (which is about 330 miles from Brussels). He reportedly told her they had decided to come to NY anyway despite being aware of the cancellation because the policital situation here was ‘calm’ and that he’d ‘never visited the city anyway’.

A couple of days later, someone from De Crem’s office had a telephone call with Nathalie’s boss, after which she was promptly fired.

Nathalie should be reinstated. De Crem (nicknamed “Crembo” because of his Rambo-like, Bush-like pro war policies) should be sacked.

Bush attack on workers’ health

This video from the USA says about itself:

Bush Admin: 9/11 Rescue Workers Can Fend for Themselves

First the Bush administration scraps a health care plan for 9/11 rescue workers.

Then members of New York City’s congressional delegation hold a hearing with the rescue workers and the Bush administration decides to skip it.

United States Health and Human Services Department blows off news agency.

From The Raw Story in the USA:

Bush aides push for rule to hamper worker health protections

Saturday November 29, 2008

Bush administration aides are rushing to pass a safety rule which would make government regulation of workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals more difficult; a rule President-elect Barack Obama opposes.

Public health officials worry the decreased protections will result in additional, unnecessary deaths.

It is just one of about 20 controversial Labor Department proposals being pushed by large business interests, according to a published report.

Other proposals would allow power plants to be built closer to parks and wildlife preserves, and further limit the role of environmental and animal experts in determining where major infrastructure projects may be carried out.

Fungus and long-tailed tits

Today, a walk along the old Hilversum canal.

Turkey tail fungus growing on an old tree trunk.

Nuthatch sounds.

A group of long-tailed tits flying from tree to tree.

This is a video from England about long-tailed tit chicks being fed.