What Caught My Eye Today

G8 Summit - President Bush signaled the United States will press ahead with a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe despite Russia's heated objections. Poland's president expressed support for installing interceptor rockets in his country. The administration made clear it was not abandoning plans for a missile-defense program in Poland and the Czech Republic despite a surprise counterproposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin to instead use a Soviet-era radar tracking station in Azerbaijan. Putin had more suggestions on Friday for locations for missile interceptors: "They could be placed in the south, in U.S. NATO allies such as Turkey, or even Iraq," Putin said. "They could also be placed on sea platforms." Iraq? Oh yeah, that'll work. I mean look how safe and secure that little gem has been since we liberated it. Nice try, Vlad.

U.S. Military - Bitter divisions over the Iraq war, particularly on Capitol Hill, led the Bush administration to change course and replace Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that despite earlier plans to recommend Pace for a second two-year term as chairman, he instead was recommending Adm. Mike Mullen, currently chief of naval operations, to take over when Pace's term expires Sept. 30. Bush accepted the recommendation. "I think that the events of the last several months have simply created an environment in which I think there would be a confirmation process that would not be in the best interests of the country," Gates said. Pace's departure will put nearly an entirely new slate of leaders and military commanders in charge of the war, which is now in its fifth year and has claimed the lives of more than 3,500 U.S. troops. Can you say 'scapegoat?' The military doesn't set policy, it enforces it. Pace is getting the blame for someone else's miscalculation.

Space Shuttle - Seven astronauts climbed aboard a patched-up Atlantis for the first space shuttle flight of 2007 — a mission that was delayed by a damaging hailstorm and overshadowed by a lurid love triangle. The shuttle was set to blast off on a mission to continue building the international space station. During the 11-day flight, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver a new segment and a pair of solar panels to the orbiting outpost. They will also swap out a member of the space station's crew. The mission was delayed for three months after a freak storm at the launch pad hurled golf-ball-size hail at Atlantis' 154-foot fuel tank, putting thousands of pockmarks in its vital insulating foam and one of the orbiter's wings. Is it just me or does the fact that a love triangle garners more media attention than the space shuttle show just how disinterested the public has become with the space program? NASA needs to shelve this fleet in a hurry and get the next generation up and running in a hurry.

Paris Hilton - Ordinarily, I would be surprised by this latest turn of events, but then again, we are talking about Paris. She was sent screaming and crying back to jail Friday after a judge ruled that she must serve out her sentence behind bars rather than in the comfort of her Hollywood Hills home. Hours earlier, Hilton was taken handcuffed from her home in a black-and-white police car, paparazzi sprinting in pursuit and helicopters broadcasting live from above. Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer was calm but apparently irked by Sheriff Lee Baca's decision to release Hilton three days into her sentence due to an unspecified "medical condition." "I at no time condoned the actions of the sheriff and at no time told him I approved the actions," Sauer said. "At no time did I approve the defendant being released from custody to her home." Hilton's entire body trembled as the final pitch was made for her further incarceration. She clutched a ball of tissue and tears ran down her face. Seconds later, the judge announced his decision: "The defendant is remanded to county jail to serve the remainder of her 45-day sentence. This order is forthwith." Hilton screamed. Despite being ordered to serve the remainder of her original 45-day sentence, Hilton could still be released early. Inmates are given a day off their terms for every four days of good behavior, and her days in home detention counted as time served. And so it goes. Wouldn't surprise me if this time next week, Paris is out of jail again.

Grey's Anatomy - "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington, who played Dr. Preston Burke on the show, said on Friday he was "mad as hell" at being fired from the hit U.S. television hospital drama. Last year, Washington sparked controversy after a heated argument on the "Grey's" set in which he reportedly called co-star T.R. Knight a "faggot." Washington denied the report. But Knight, who later came out as gay, said he had used the slur. At January's Golden Globe awards, where "Grey's" was named top television drama, Washington caused further uproar when he again denied having addressed Knight with the anti-gay term. What's he pissed off for, being stupid? Was he the only one who didn't see what happened to Don Imus this past April? This cannot have come as much of a surprise, unless, of course, he really is that stupid.