What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Defying veto threats, Democratic congressional leaders sent President Bush legislation setting timetables for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq on the fourth anniversary of his "Mission Accomplished" speech on the war (by total coincidence, I'm sure). The White House said the president would veto the bill on his return to the White House and then go before television cameras, just before the evening news shows, to make a statement. The Democratic leaders staged a special ceremony to send the legislation — already approved by both the House and Senate — on its way to the White House. Nothing beats a good photo-op except maybe, oh I don't know, figuring out a way out of this mess that both the President and Congress can agree on.

Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez's government took over Venezuela's last privately run oil fields Tuesday, intensifying a struggle with international firms over the development of the world's largest known petroleum deposit. The president is operating with special powers given by congress to issue laws by decree in energy and other areas, which he has used to nationalize big companies. He justifies the takeovers as necessary to give the government control of sectors "strategic" to Venezuela's interests. Chavez hopes to radically make over Venezuela, saying big changes are needed to make sure the poor benefit from the country's wealth and not just the elite. Using the country's burgeoning revenues from high oil prices, he is financing widespread programs for the poor. He has built new clinics, refurbished state hospitals and sent thousands of doctors to live in poor neighborhoods and provide free medical care. A couple of other leader come to mind who claimed be using 'absolute power' for improving the lives of folks they governed. Perhaps you have heard of them...Mussolini? Hitler? Of course, this time will be different. After all, what else could possibly be motivating Chavez to seize control of all these industries?

NASA - With NASA planning to land on Mars 30 years from now, and with the recent discovery of the most "Earth-like" planet ever seen outside the solar system, the space agency has begun to ponder some of the thorny practical and ethical questions posed by deep space exploration. How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back? When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight? One topic that is evidently too hot to handle: How do you cope with sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long? Sex is not mentioned in the document and has long been almost a taboo topic at NASA. Williams said the question of sex in space is not a matter of crew health but a behavioral issue that will have to be taken up by others at NASA. Call me crazy, but if I'm stuck in space for 3 years with no sex, death would be a welcome relief.

Car and Truck Sales - Here are the top 20 selling vehicles in the U.S. through April 30th (along with units sold):

1. Ford F-Series Pickup (228,343)
2. Chevy Silverado Pickup (202,151)
3. Toyota Camry (143,774)
4. Dodge Ram Pickup (122,816)
5. Honda Accord (121,516)
6. Toyota Corolla (120,484)
7. Chevrolet Impala (108,876)
8. Honda Civic (97,295)
9. Nissan Altima (90,338)
10. Dodge Caravan (75,984)
11. Honda CR-V (64,951)
12. GMC Sierra Pickup (64,639)
13. Ford Econoline/Club Wagon (62,246)
14. Chevrolet Cobalt (56,848)
15. Ford Focus (56,463)
16. Toyota RAV4 (55,900)
17. Ford Escape (54,105)
18. Toyota Prius (52,738) - up 73% over the same period last year
19. Chrysler Town & Country (52,572)
20. Ford Fusion (51,981)

There's three freakin' vans on this list and no luxury or high-performance models? What's up with that?