good news, evil news, and some that falls in between

[scottobear]

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE
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Most Americans enjoy a longer life expectancy today compared with twenty-five years ago.
One of the critical factors in determining life expectancy is knowing where someone lives.
Americans living in suburbs and wealthy sections of cities are enjoying a much more dramatic upside than their counterparts in rural areas or crowded sections of cities.



KIDS IN TROUBLE
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According to a report released today, between 300,000 and 400,000 U.S. children are victims of the sex trade each year (prostitution, child pornography, etc.). According to the study's author:
"Child sexual exploitation is the most hidden form of child abuse in the U.S. and North America today. It is the nation’s least recognized epidemic."

Misc -

According to many economists, we may be nearing an end to the economic slide. But the climb back will be slow-going.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2001-09-10-nabe.htm

What are the chances that the 11-year tax cut sticks around for even the first few years?
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1304-2001Sep9.html

Amid increased violence (including the first suicide bombing by an Israeli Arab), Peres and Arafat plan to hold talks Tuesday.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/468764.asp

A new book gives a blow-by-blow account of key moments of the Supreme Court decision in election 2000. Included in this excerpt is a suggestion by David Souter that he could have convinced Anthony Kennedy to flip if he had one more day.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/626045.asp

First case of Mad Cow Disease found in Japan.
http://cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/09/10/japan.madcow/

Blockbuster will reduce the number of VHS tapes in stores as DVDs rapidly become the first choice for customers.
http://www.boston.com/news/daily/10/blockbuster.htm


NUTS NOT PLAYING BACK HOME
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After her wildly bizarre interview with Barbara Walters and the release of her tell-all autobiofantasy, Anne Heche's family has taken to the internet (where else) to voice their doubts about Anne's stories. From mother Heche: "I am trying to find a place for myself in this writing, a place where I as Anne's mother do not feel violated or scandalized. I find no place among the lies and blasphemies in the pages of this book." Looks like Anne and her new hubby will be free for Thanksgiving this year.

last off -

What could make a self-thrown Michael Jackson tribute even more weird? Brando.

Comments

[rejectomorph]

That Department of Health and Human Services report is interesting. If they did in fact define rural areas as counties with less than one million people, then San Francisco was defined as rural- (fewer than 800,000 people live in that county.) And if counties with populations over 1,000,000 are defined as urban, then the almost entirely suburban Sacramento county was defined as urban.
Government statistics.
Sheesh.

Re:

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

*nods.. yeah... well, I guess you have to draw the imaginary lines somewhere... but I hear you. :)