What Caught My Eye This Week - Magazine Edition

Newsweek

Military - The number of active-duty soldiers who deserted the Army last year is 3,301. Deserters are branded after abandoning their posts without permission for 30 days. The tally is hardly at Vietnam War levels, but is significant for an all-volunteer military. Many of today's deserters have served a term or two in Afghanistan and Iraq already, and were slated to redeploy to Iraq. Since there troops disagree only with the premise of this war, it is more difficult for them to escape deployment as conscientious objectors, who oppose all wars. I think it's safe to say the Commander-in-chief will not be receiving Christmas cards from this group. This does cause one to wonder how military recruiters are positioning careers in the armed forces.

Mormons - Dick Cheney is running out of friendly audiences are a rapid pace. Cheney is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Brigham Young University later this month in Utah, one of the most conservative states in the country. Due to overwhelming demand, university officials have approved a rare campus protest this week against Cheney's visit and is considering another on commencement day. I read somewhere that some Republican insiders are pushing to have Cheney make a run for the Presidency in 2008. Guys, this dude has managed to piss off even the Mormons. Find yourselves another candidate.

High Tech - Get ready for twitter, a service that tells your friends--via mobile phone, instant message, or the Web--what you're doing at any given moment. The idea was born from the instant message status line, 'I'm away from my computer.' The premise is rather simple. You 'twitter' by answering the question, "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less. The messages are dispatched as frequently as you like to fellow Twitterers who have chosen to follow you. One does not respond to a twitter. Well that's a relief. No telling the types of responses you get from something like this...DO NOT BOTHER ME. DOWNLOADING PORN. Or maybe this...DO NOT DISTURB. GETTING YELLED AT FOR DOWNLOADING PORN AT WORK.

Television - Network executives have clearly run out of original ideas. Producers are exploring the possibility of creating a sitcom pilot based on the cavemen from those Geico commercials. This is the last straw for me. That's right folks, from now on, I'm spending my free time playing Sudoku.

Tourism - Let me start by saying this was my favorite article in this week's edition. In a recent BBC poll taken in 27 countries (as reported on this very blog a couple of weeks ago), 56% of respondents considered Israel a negative influence in the world, higher than Iran and the United States. But Israels's real PR problem is that Americans--particularly men aged 18 to 35--either associate the country with war or holy relics, or don't think of it at all. So six months ago, Israeli officials approach Maxim magazine (I kid you not) to do a photo shoot of scantily clothed models on Tel Aviv's beach front. This is a new one for me. A country is trying to 'sex' itself up. And not just any country, but freaking Israel. You have to love the irony.

The Week

International Travel - The State Department issued new guidelines on travel to foreign countries, and they were not particularly diplomatic.

Qatar - Driving here is described as 'an extreme sport.'
Cyprus - 'Cabaret girls' connive with bar owners to fleece patrons looking for female company.
Laos - Operates according to 'unpublished laws.'
Mexico - Reporting a crime is an archaic, exhausting process in Mexico and is widely preceived to be a waste of time.

Remind me again, is this a travel advisory for the rest of the world, or just any large city in the United States?

Sainthood - The late John Paul II came a step closer to sainthood this week when Vatican officials closed their investigation into his life and virtues. He has been on the fast track to sainthood ever since his successor, Benedict XVI, waived the five year waiting period and began the investigation just 41 days after his death. John Paul can be declared a saint after the Vatican certifies that he has performed two posthumous miracles. One is already recorded: a French nun said she was cured of Parkinson's diseases after praying to John Paul. Well, I for one am relieved to hear this. I thought that whole concert deal with Bob Dylan was going to screw the whole thing up.

2008 Presidential Race - With most presidential candidates trying to accumulate $75 million by the first primary, spending on the 2008 Presidential campaign is expected to top $1 billion. One journalist was quoted as saying, 'Americans spend $36 billion annually on pet care and $10 billion on porn. If candidates spend $1 billion with the electorate, why is that a waste? More money means more communication, more debate, more education. In other words, more democracy.' I don't think so, sparkplug. That 'so-called' communication and debate deteriorates into mudslinging well before the election. Call me crazy but I'm sticking with Fido and the naked human form.