Grumpy Editor

Obama hustles to North Korea border for photo op

Within hours of Air Force One’s landing in South Korea, President Barack Obama --- sensing a photo op with the presidential election less than eight months away --- was peering through binoculars toward North Korea yesterday in his first visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which has bisected the peninsula since the Korean War cease fire almost 59 years ago, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Chances are North Koreans had binoculars trained on the president who wore an identification badge reading:  Barack Obama, Commander in Chief. 

Reuters said Obama “spent about 10 minutes on a viewing platform at the DMZ, talking with some of the soldiers on guard as the flags of the United States, South Korea and the United Nations flapped loudly in the brisk, cold wind.” 

With print and broadcast media trailing his movements, the president visited the DMZ on the eve of a global summit on nuclear security hosted by South Korea. 

“You guys are at freedom's frontier," Obama told about 50 troops crammed into a dining hall at a U.S. camp near the DMZ, one of the world's most heavily fortified frontiers. 

The Korean War remains open ended with no peace treaty signed. Battles ended with a cease fire on July 27, 1953.  

The Korean War, also labeled the “forgotten war,” erupted when 135,000 communist North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea in pre-dawn hours of June 25, 1950. 

For the U.S., the war resulted in 36,940 military deaths, 103,000 wounded, 8,142 missing in action and 3,746 prisoners of war.  

Prolonging the war were entries of communist Chinese soldiers battling U.S. troops on the ground and Russian pilots in Soviet-built jets fighting U.S. airmen.

Chinese troops killed or captured thousands of U.S. military personnel and managed many prisoner of war camps in North Korea. 

Obama was threatening to cancel planned U.S. food aid to North Korea following its announcement that it plans to launch a long-range rocket next month.

 

Stock market slips: ‘China fears’ or simply profit taking?

Sensitivity of the stock market these days, since the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently moved above 13000, was illustrated when wire and broadcast reports throughout yesterday mentioned stocks slip "on China fears” or “worries over China’s economic outlook,” sending the market tumbling 68.94 points to 13170.19,” observed Grumpy Editor.

So what were those worries over China that sent the Dow lower for the second time in 10 sessions?  

The “China fears” stemmed from a comment Monday in far-off Perth, Australia, from Ian Ashby, president of iron ore operations of Melbourne, Australia-based BHP Billiton, Ltd., the world’s largest mining firm (and listed on the New York Stock Exchange).  He said his company was seeing signs of "flattening" iron ore demand from China.

But then, Ashby went on to say iron ore demand would ''grow strongly'' in the next decade and consumption would advance more than 3 percent globally over the next eight years. 

And what about the softening in China demand?

That would not happen until after 2025, said Ashby.

Yet, what investors heard triggered concern, said news reports, sending the Dow averages lower.

In the past, a drop in the Dow from a series of major gains would be attributed simply to profit taking.

 

Will Feb. 23 North Korea nuclear talks make progress?

Look for media to play the long-running six-nation talks --- tomorrow in Beijing --- focusing on North Korea nuclear disarmament like something is finally going to break, but Grumpy Editor feels it’s likely to be ho-hum time again.

Nuclear talks regarding North Korea have been going on for years.

The only hope is the change in North Korea’s leadership since Kim Jong-il died in December.

The latest session will measure if Kim’s son and successor, Kim Jong-un, is more open to diplomacy.

The six nations --- South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the U.S. --- have been sitting around tables, off and on, for more than nine years trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Recent talks (last July in New York and three months later in Geneva) made no progress.

North Korea’s routine has been to talk, followed by pauses, then more talks, followed by no resolution. 

That’s been the Communist nation’s procedure since 1953 when the Korean War ended with a cease fire.  North and South Korea technically remain at war with no peace treaty.

One reason nuclear disarmament talks get nowhere:  North Korea, Russia and China are on the same side.

It’s been that way since the Korean War, in which Russia and China joined North Korea in fighting American and South Korean troops, among other allied forces.

After this week’s Beijing discussions, it will be interesting to see if media reports include (again) these words: deadlocked, impasse, inconclusive and recessed without agreement.

 

Trump, in political theater, endorses Romney in Vegas

Real estate mogul Donald Trump, who likes to throw curves at the press, did it again yesterday in Las Vegas when he endorsed Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, in the Republican presidential campaign, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Some reporters on the campaign trail, along with Las Vegas print and broadcast media, figured Trump would endorse Newt Gingrich --- two days before the Nevada caucuses. 

A day earlier, Associated Press, quoted a source close to the former House speaker indicating billionaire Trump would back Gingrich. 

Just last Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Trump praised Gingrich. 

With the press session yesterday, Trump also garnered some publicity for his off-Strip Trump International Hotel & Tower where the media gathered to hear his announcement with Romney standing at his side. 

After his proclamation, Trump told a TV interviewer that Romney “has taken a tough stance on China,” adding, “I’m tired of seeing this country ripped off and that’s what it’s all about.” 

Trump mentioned, “It’s all about who is going to do a great job.  I want to see this country great again.” 

And what about Gingrich? 

“I like Newt very much,” beamed Trump.

 

Republican candidates’ 2 TV debates miss opportunities

Television viewers saw a total of three and a half hours of Republican candidates’ debates from New Hampshire over the weekend and only once was there a mention of rogue North Korea --- with zero discussion of the Communist nation pushing ahead with a nuclear weapons program under a new leader --- and no talk about global warming (rebranded climate change), the illegal immigrants situation in the U.S. and China’s military buildup while the U.S. chops its defense budget, observes Grumpy Editor. 

But everyone --- questioners and other candidates --- targeted Mitt Romney. 

An inordinate portion of Saturday night’s two-hour debate on ABC was consumed with commentator George Stephanopoulos asking Romney, “Do you believe states have the right to ban contraception, or is that trumped by a constitutional right to privacy?” 

That discussion spread to other candidates. 

Ten hours later, NBC expanded its normal one hour “Meet the Press” to 90 minutes to bounce questions off the same six GOP candidates.  David Gregory helmed that debate --- seen “live” in the east but on tape in the West. 

A tape delay for the West also came with the Dec. 10 debate on ABC. 

The problem with delayed viewing in the West is that alert debate followers already have heard sound bites on radio and TV news before viewing the replay.  In addition, Web sites already had covered details and sparring among quizzers and candidates. 

Fifteen minutes before the end of yesterday’s NBC debate, a quickie mention was made about North Korea --- but no questions or discussion followed. 

One plus for the NBC taped-for-the-West version vs. ABC’s delayed release on Dec. 10:  Unlike ABC’s misleading white-on-red LIVE “bug” above its logo in the bottom corner of the screen, NBC did not have that.

 

Fed workers' pay beats private wages, Chinese clone WSJ page, Sin City targets pigeons, among year-end items

Grumpy Editor today concludes a list of news items that some folks (and editors) may have missed during the busy year-end period ---

FED WORKERS’ PAY TOPS PRIVATE WAGES

Job hunting?  Head for a federal position.

A year-end USA Today analysis found federal employees received an average $75,296 in pay during the past year --- about 60 percent above the average private sector wage.

What’s more, federal workers also scored an average $28,323 in medical, pension and other benefits, noted the Gannett publication which added, “Federal compensation has soared in the past decade, especially in the past five years, at a time when private wages and employment have sputtered.”

All this followed President Barack Obama 13 months ago declaring a pay freeze for federal employees in 2011 and 2012.  Despite the so-called “freeze,” 1.1 million fed workers will receive more than $2.5 billion in raises during the two-year span, calculated Federal Times. 

PEJ RANKS  ECONOMY AS TOP STORY IN 2011

The big story in 2011 was the economy, according to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism’s annual “Year in News” tally. 

PEJ said 20 percent of news time and space was dedicated to the topic via print, online, TV news and radio, up from 14 percent from 2010. 

The other major trend was "a jump of more than a third in coverage of international news,” added PEJ, with half of the year's 10 most-covered stories occurring overseas.  Combined, 28 percent of all coverage last year was about international events.

  

PROMOTING JADE, CHINA CLONES WSJ PAGE

Drawing attention to the green gem prized for jewelry, The Wall Street Journal last week ran a full page report with three color photos under a bold across-the-page headline:  Jade craze takes hold. 

Unless readers noted the two “paid advertisement” placements in fine print --- slightly larger than the page number --- atop the A section page, they were unaware that the text, art (complete with credit lines), bold-faced boxes and subheads were for China Watch, prepared by China Daily.  It was close to WSJ format. 

LAS VEGAS AREA EYES PIGEON FEEDING BAN

Despite the Las Vegas area ranking high in unemployment, home foreclosures and sinking property values, at the top of the list for action at the first 2012 meeting of the Clark County Board of Supervisors: pigeons. 

As a reader wrote in a Jan. 1 letter to the editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal under a "Pigeon-feeding ordinance is for the birds" headline:  “With all the rampant economic and social woes facing Clark County, it is amazing that the Clark County Commission will be holding a public hearing Tuesday on an ordinance that would ban the feeding of pigeons in unincorporated areas of the county.”

Following yesterday's meeting on the subject, commissioners again will peck away at proposed enforcement and other issues on Jan. 17.  Rules could lead to pigeon feeders getting up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Along with causing problems for residents who have bird feeders, commissioners will have to distinguish the many varieties of pigeons, some raised for food or sport.

Aside from the common (or rock) pigeon, others include band tailed pigeon, red billed pigeon, white crowned pigeon, white king pigeon and racing pigeon. 

But commissioners always welcome feeding slot machines in Clark County --- and the rest of Nevada.

PETA SEEKS MEMORIALS FOR  DEAD CATTLE

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was seeking permission in Illinois to buy highway markers in memory of cattle killed when trucks hauling them, in two separate accidents, flipped. 

PETA said the signs would pay tribute to more than 20 cattle killed last year because of negligent driving. 

Doesn’t look like the PETA request will go far.  A Department of Transportation spokesman said it probably will be denied because Illinois’s Roadside Memorial Act specifies only relatives who lost loved ones in highway accidents may request memorials.

 

ENQUIRER PRINTING PLANT TO CLOSE

About 200 newspaper jobs will be axed this year when the The Cincinnati Enquirer, a Gannett Co. Inc. publication, closes its printing plant in the fall.  Plans call for The Columbus Dispatch to print The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Kentucky Enquirer.

A Gannett news release in late December made no mention on the number of jobs to be eliminated.  Closest it got:  " As part of this initiative, The Enquirer’s production facility will close fourth quarter, 2012, as printing transitions to Columbus."

 

Kiplinger’s future lighting story skips toxic CFLs mention

A glowing story in the January issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine on the upcoming replacement of the long-used traditional incandescent light bulbs overlooked mention that compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, one type of substitute, contains toxic mercury that can pose problems, notes Grumpy Editor.

Under the headline, “Incandescents Take the Heat,” CFLs, Halogen bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are cited as replacements when new energy standards go into effect next month. 

But the main concern, not touched on in the article, focuses on the replacement CFLs, produced mostly in China.  They are being promoted in efforts to go more "green” and conserve energy.

A few vigilant newspaper editorial writers in recent months have alerted readers to problems with CFLs which entered the future lighting picture when Congress four years ago passed an energy bill that essentially banned the traditional incandescent light bulb that received a major thrust in 1878 from Thomas Edison’s research. 

Many officials apparently remain unaware that when a CFL bulb (a small glass tube twisted into a spiral) shatters, mercury escapes as vapor that can be inhaled, and as a fine powder it can settle into carpet and other textiles.

A Scientific American posting three years ago was among the first to point out highly toxic mercury is especially harmful to the brains of both fetuses and children. 

The director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division at that time recommended opening windows and stepping outside, then quickly ventilating the room when a CFL bulb breaks. 

"Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out,” was the warning.  

In July, U.S. House efforts to repeal use of CFLs fell short of the two-thirds majority vote needed for passage --- without a peep from the current EPA.

 

New tests back up Dr. Oz’s apple juice/arsenic findings

With orange juice and its arsenic content back in the news, most print and broadcast media yesterday missed an important element that was spotlighted by Dr. Mehmet Oz 11 weeks ago on “The Dr. Oz Show” on television --- most apple juice distributed in the U.S. is imported, observes Grumpy Editor. 

In his September TV show, Dr. Oz revealed 60 percent of the juice concentrate comes from China.  He commented on arsenic content in apple juice after testing samples from some of the nation’s best-known brands.

The Food and Drug Administration at that time immediately disputed the findings. 

After Consumer Reports this week announced its own tests on several apple juice brands and called for stricter standards, the FDA said it will examine whether its restrictions on the amount of arsenic allowed in apple juice are stringent enough. 

Arsenic, not always regulated in other countries, is a toxic heavy metal known to cause cancer if consumed at high levels or over a long period. 

TV channels yesterday placed a variety of doctors, nutrition experts and medical/health correspondents before cameras.  But their apple juice comments focused on such things as sugar content, high calories, danger to waistlines, lack of fiber vs. whole fruit and tooth decay in small children. 

Deep in an Associated Press story in some newspapers today, Marilynn Marchione, AP’s chief medical writer, reported “only 17 percent of the apple juice sold in the U.S. is produced here” with the remainder coming from mostly China, Argentina, Chile and Brazil, according to the Juice Products Association. 

Indeed, a close look at apple juice containers’ fine print on labels will most likely indicate a foreign source. 

Sadly, the number of U.S. farms producing apples --- mainly in Washington State, New York and Michigan --- has continued to slide, tumbling from nearly 34,000 in the late 1990s to 25,600 in 2007, the most recent year tallied.

 

U.S. again seeks remains of troops from Korean War

North Korea and the U.S. today in Bangkok are set to resume one of the longest-running “talks” in efforts to recover the remains of some of the estimated 5,500 U.S. service members unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War, notes Grumpy Editor.

Also unresolved, but not included in today’s talks, is putting a cap on the open-ended so-called “forgotten war” with battles that concluded with a cease fire on July 27, 1953. 

A North Korea-U.S. diplomatic meeting three months ago in New York included discussions on signing a peace treaty to end the Korean War.  But that aspect, as usual, fizzled.

What spurred the latest action?

U.K.’s The Telegraph reported a spokesman for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the North had accepted the U.S. proposal to meet on humanitarian grounds.  The Telegraph added, “The North's announcement came just hours after Washington said it had offered North Korea up to $900,000 in emergency flood assistance.”

Over the years, whether involving discussions on recovery efforts, peace treaty or nuclear disarmament, North Korea’s routine has been to talk, followed by pauses, then more talks, followed by no final action.

Prior recovery efforts were terminated in May 2005 when the Bush administration was worried about safety of U.S. recovery teams.

The Pentagon, in announcing today’s talks, made no mention of security improvements or any other reason for meeting with the North Koreans to negotiate a resumption of remains recovery efforts, according to Associated Press.

For the U.S., the Korean War resulted in 36,940 military deaths, 103,000 wounded, 8,142 missing in action and 3,746 prisoners of war. 

The conflict erupted when 135,000 communist North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea in pre-dawn hours of June 25, 1950.

The war was extended with the entries of communist Chinese soldiers battling U.S. troops on the ground and Russian pilots in Soviet-built jets fighting U.S. airmen.

Also pretty much forgotten:  Chinese troops killed or captured thousands of U.S. military personnel and managed many prisoner of war camps in North Korea. 

 

Dr. Oz cites arsenic in apple juice, irks FDA --- and ABC

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor of the syndicated “The Dr. Oz Show” on television and coauthor of a daily newspaper column, stirs things up on TV with his findings on arsenic content found in mostly imported apple juice, observes Grumpy Editor. 

After testing dozens of samples from three U.S. cities, Dr. Oz discovers some of the nation's best known brands of apple juice contain arsenic, a heavy metal known to cause cancer. 

That brought immediate reaction from the Food and Drug Administration, disputing Dr. Oz’s findings --- and from ABC’s health and medical editor, Dr. Richard Besser. 

An exchange of Dr. Besser, a former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Oz on ABC’s “Good Morning America": 

Besser: “ I’m very upset about this.  I think this was extremely irresponsible, putting out this kind of health warning, manufacturing a health crisis based on faulty, incomplete data.” 

Oz:  “We did our homework.  We spent a lot of time making sure we got our numbers right.” 

Dr. Oz stresses most apple juice is not all-American, pointing out 60 percent of apple juice, made from concentrate, is imported from China.

Grumpy Editor, in efforts to determine the source of apple juice from concentrate distributed by Kroger Co., for example, finds one has to examine the container very carefully.  The information is not on the wraparound label indicating nutrition facts and ingredients but is in tiny, easy-to-overlook print directly on the plastic container about an inch above the label.

Sure enough, it reads:  “Contains concentrate from Argentina/China.”

Arsenic, banned in the U.S., is not always regulated in other countries where it may be in the water supply or used in pesticides contaminating the juice you're giving to your children, says Dr. Oz. 

To settle the argument, rather than running a pros and cons story (and probably again in a few months), a major U.S. newspaper, magazine, wire service or TV outlet should independently test --- as a public service --- for arsenic content in apple juice and promote the results. 

Meanwhile, see Dr.Oz’s findings and more information at:

www.doctoroz.com/videos/arsenic-apple-juice