What Caught My Eye This Week - Magazine Edition

The Week

China - China has surpassed the U.S. as the largest source of exports to the European Union by a $255 billion to $234 billion margin. Does that include all of the illegal copies of music, movies and computer software, or just the luxury label rip offs?

Saudi Arabia - Rising oil prices have increased Saudi Arabia's annual oil revenues from $98 billion in 1998 to $200 billion today. I cannot find the words to express the joy I haveto be one of the fortunate few tens of millions to be contributing to their coffers.

Iraq - The U.S. is holding 18,000 Iraqis in Prisons and detention camps in Iraq. The way I hear it, the military found it easier to ignore the Geneva Convention there than in Cuba. Human rights advocates are too afraid to go into Iraq.

Public Opinion - In the no kidding department, 59% of Americans sya they would like Congress to vote for a bill calling for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2008. Only 27% say the recent troop surge has made things better in Iraq.

Tobacco - Of the $52.6 billion that tobacco companies have paid to the states to settle a massive lawsuit, only 33.55 has been spent on health care and anti-tobacco programs. The rest has been spent to fill holes in state budgets and cover other non-smoking related expenses. You have to love those politicians who have our best interests at heart don't you?

Television - The average American family now gets 104 television channels, up from 61 in 2000. Viewers only watched about 15% of the channels available to them. No kidding. Half the channels out there air repeats of 'Law & Order' and 'Friends.'

Business Week

Fast Food - Here's an interesting list. A poll of 70,000 people resulting in the following list of cities ranking highest in monthly trips to fast food restaurants:

- McAllen, TX: 25
- Greenville, NC: 24
- Memphis, TN: 22
- Dallas, TX; El Paso, TX; San Antonio, TX; Oklahoma City, OK: 21
- Charleston, WV; Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC: 20

90% of respondents say they eat fast food at least once a month. Fast Food Nation indeed.

Beef - On the other end of the gastronomic spectrum we have wagyu beef, considered ambrosia for carnivores and fetching up to $20 an ounce. Wagyu beef comes from Japanese cattle that are treated to regular massages and a diet of grains and beer. The most well know wagyu beef, Kobe beef fetches $395 for a trio of preparations (filet, strip loin and rib eye) at New York's Kobe Club. You think that's pricey? I hear you have to pay extra for side dishes.

Entertainment Weekly

American Idol - EW ranked some of the mentors from recent weeks. Here are the reviews from best to worst:
Tony Bennet: His segments offered the best critiques of the season.
Jennifer Lopez: Lopez played to her strengths, focusing on dance moves for two performers.
Lulu/Peter Noone: Lulu coached Jordin to her best performance of the season, while Noone seemed lost.
Diana Ross: Her tutoring was considerably tamer than her hairdo and the music proved to be equally unmemorable as 3 performers forgot the lyrics to Ross' songs
Gwen Stefani: Stephani looked adorable but appeared far less comfortable and awfully bored with coaching. Though in my opinion she had one of the best comments when her advice to Sanjaya on covered No Doubt's 'Bathwater' was "Good luck."

Procreation - Here are the 5 worst songs to listen to while doing the 'hoopity doopity':
1. 'Mr Roboto' by Styx (this could rank as a worst song on any list)
2. 'I Drink Alone' by George Thorogood (Thorogood doesn't exactly have that Luthor Vandross vibe, does he?)
3. Anything by Weird Al (do ya think?)
4. 'I Ran' by Flock of Seagulls (not exactly words that your partner would want to hear)
5. 'Ninja Rap' by Vanilla Ice (definitely a buzz kill)