What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Car bombs shattered a crowded marketplace in the heart of Baghdad on Monday, triggering secondary explosions, engulfing an eight-story building in flames and killing at least 78 people in the latest in a series of similar attacks aimed at the country's Shiite majority. Where is the government? Where is the security plan?" survivors screamed. Good question.

Anti-War Bill - House Democratic leaders circulated a nonbinding resolution Monday saying that Congress "disapproves of the decision of resident George W. Bush ... to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq." The measure, expected to come to a vote by Friday, also says that "Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States armed forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq." Debate on the resolution is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, with each of the 435 House members allotted five minutes to speak. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but...it's NON BINDING, people. If it's not too much to ask for, do you think you could spend some time on something that is binding, like say healthcare reform or Social Security?

Zimbabwe - Inflation in Zimbabwe has continued to spiral upwards, leaping to a record annual rate of 1,593.6% in January. The country has been hit by an unemployment rate of more than 80% and chronic shortages of food and fuel. The top union representing government employees demanded a review of all civil servant salaries, and said if the demand was not met the "agitated" workers would consider protests. I don't want to poke too much fun of an obviously detriorating situation, but how much of a threat does this protest really pose? Only 1 in 5 people can still claim that they are actual workers.

Napping - New research on napping provides the perfect excuse for office slackers, finding that a little midday snooze seems to reduce risks for fatal heart problems, especially among men. Those who napped at least three times weekly for about half an hour had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than those who did not nap. The researchers said naps might benefit the heart by reducing stress, and jobs are a common source of stress. Just out of curiosity, did the study measure the amount of stress among those men who found themselves recently unemployed due to slacking off?

Cycling - International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials have rebuked World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chairman Dick Pound for comments critical of cyclist Lance Armstrong, according to newspaper reports. The Los Angeles Times and New York Times reported that the IOC Ethics Commission censure was dated February 2 and came following a complaint filed in 2005 by the American, a seven-time Tour de France winner.

Here's what specifically caught my attention...

IOC officials endorsed their ethics panel's finding that Pound's comments "could have been regarded as likely to impugn the probity" of Armstrong and were imprudent given the Olympic movement "spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play."

For those of you, who like me, have no idea what impugn and probity mean...

impugn: To attack by words or arguments; to call in question; to make insinuations against; to oppose or challenge as false; to gainsay (this, incidentally, was the word of the day on March, 3, 2000 according to Dictionary.com)

probity: Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness (also honored as word of the day on January 29, 2000)

So to translate...

IOC officials endorsed their ethics panel's finding that Pound's comments "could have been regarded as likely to call in question the Complete and confirmed integrity" of Armstrong and were imprudent given the Olympic movement "spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play.