What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - The Democratic-controlled House failed Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of an Iraq war spending bill with timetables for troop withdrawals. Democrats later met with Bush and emerged undeterred in their determination to bring soldiers home. Bush showed he also has little appetite for backing down on what he wants in war funding legislation — namely, no strings on the military effort in Iraq. The meeting broke up after only about 30 minutes. And both Republican and Democratic leaders came out not to declare progress but only to promise to work toward it. Negotiations for a new spending bill could prove difficult. Both parties agree it should include benchmarks for progress in Iraq, but many Democrats insist they be tied to timelines for U.S. troop withdrawals if they are unmet. Bush and his congressional allies say such links are unacceptable.

In other news related to Iraq...

Nearly 4,000 American soldiers pour into Baghdad this week, the fourth of five brigades being sent to strengthen an 11-week-old crackdown aimed at quelling sectarian violence. When complete, the Baghdad security operation will include about 28,000 additional U.S. forces, including 20,500 combat soldiers and about 8,000 service members involved in support services such as intelligence, military police and logistics.

I have to confess that I'm running out of things to say about this stuff. We've been hearing the same posturing from the President and Congress for months. I'll keep my ear to the ground for any hint of new material, but I'm not holding my breath.

Food - As if we didn't have enough to worry about, we have a a looming food supply crisis. It has nothing to do with the threat of terrorism, but rather honey bees. Honeybees don't just make honey; they pollinate more than 90 of the tastiest flowering crops we have. In fact, about one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination. U.S. beekeepers in the past few months have lost one-quarter of their colonies — or about five times the normal winter losses — because of what scientists have dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder. The problem started in November and seems to have spread to 27 states, with similar collapses reported in Brazil, Canada and parts of Europe. The top suspects are a parasite, an unknown virus, some kind of bacteria, pesticides, or a one-two combination of the top four, with one weakening the honeybee and the second killing it. I'm not taking any chances. I'm off to Costco to load up on Twinkies.

NASA - These guys are having a tough year. An astronaut loses her mind and goes psycho on some broad trying to steal her man. A hail storm damages the shuttle and delays its launch. A disgruntled worker goes postal at Johnson Space Center in Houston. And now this. A freight train carrying segments of the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters derailed Wednesday after a bridge collapsed. It was the second time in less than a week that the train jumped the tracks while carrying the booster segments from the manufacturer in Utah to Cape Canaveral.

Britney Spears - Haven't heard from girlfriend since she went bald a couple months ago. Britney Spears performed for the first time in more than three years on Tuesday, making a brief, unadvertised appearance at a San Diego nightclub, local media reported. The gig, which reportedly lasted between 15 and 20 minutes, was not exactly a surprise. Rumors had run rampant in the past few days that three scheduled southern California shows featuring an unknown band called The M+M's were a cover for the troubled pop princess. Wearing a brunette wig, a short top and skirt and tall boots, she performed five of her songs, and barely addressed the crowd, according to fans. So I guess that answers one burning question that I had...the hair is still missing.

Yachting - Here's your America's Cup update. Round One of the Louis Vuitton Cup wrapped up last week with U.S. entry BMW Oracle Racing atop the standings winning 10 of 11 races. Midway through Round Two, BMW Oracle has won 3 of 4 races (dude they lost to China who up to this point had not won a single race) and is tied for the overall lead with Italian entry, Luna Rossa Challenge with 27 points. The winner gets to face Swiss team, Alinghi for the America's Cup later this year.