What Caught My Eye Today

Housing - President Bush announced a set of modest proposals to deal with an alarming rise in mortgage defaults that have contributed to turbulent financial markets over recent weeks. Housing analysts said it was highly likely the limited steps Bush outlined will be expanded in coming weeks by a Democrat-controlled Congress intent on responding to growing voter anxiety as up to 2 million homeowners worry about losing their homes. Bush's proposals would make it easier for borrowers now holding adjustable rate mortgages that are resetting to higher monthly payments to refinance those loans using the resources of the Federal Housing Administration. Officials in the troubled housing industry said the important thing was that the administration had finally offered a proposal, a step they said should help calm global financial markets. I think it's a little bogus to be criticizing the President for dragging his feet on this one. Actually, Bush responded pretty quickly if you ask me. Plus, how is it his fault that the mortgage lending industry got itself into this mess through its own doing? Still, for the folks on the verge of losing their homes, I hope this provides some relief.

Military - Military chiefs conveyed to President Bush their concern about a growing strain on troops and their families from long and repeated combat tours. Bush met privately at the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in preparation for decisions about how long to sustain the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq, whether to change course this fall and how to save the health of a heavily stressed Army and Marines Corps. Indications are that Bush intends to stick with his current approach, at least into 2008, despite persistent pressure from the Democrat-led Congress — including some prominent Republicans — to find a new course.
Bush's critics point to mounting evidence that while the troop buildup may have halted the escalation of sectarian violence in Baghdad, the Iraqis are making almost no headway toward political reconciliation. There are no signs that the Pentagon's top generals and admirals are pushing for an early end to the war, but they are concerned not only about strains on troops but also about the possibility that the heavy focus on counterinsurgency warfare in Iraq leaves the military ill-prepared in the event of a crisis elsewhere. So this shoud be interesting. Bush has said all along that we should reserve judgment about the situation in Iraq until after the military has given its assessment of the situation. What's Bush going to do if the report contradicts his current policy?

Senate - Idaho Senator Larry Craig will announce his plans on September 1 after widespread calls from fellow Republicans to resign over a men's room sex sting. Craig has been out of public view since Tuesday, but Republican sources in Idaho said he spent Friday making calls to top party officials, including the governor, gauging their support. There has been virtually none publicly. Asked at the White House if the senator should resign, President Bush said nothing and walked off stage. We'll that speaks volumes, doesn't it. At this point, Craig's resignation appears to be more of a formality than anything else.

Global Warming - In Vienna, Austria, negotiators from 158 countries reached basic agreement Friday on rough targets aimed at getting some of the world's biggest polluters to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. A weeklong U.N. climate conference concluded that industrialized countries should strive to cut emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent of their 1990 levels by 2020. The 2020 targets are not binding, but they were seen as an important signal that industrialized nations are serious about slashing the amount of carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases to try to avert the most catastrophic consequences of global warming. The agreement sought to ease concerns that the emissions target might be too ambitious for some nations, noting that efforts to cut back on airborne pollutants are "determined by national circumstances and evolve over time." But it made clear that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to "very low levels" to guard against potentially deadly flooding, drought and other fallout. The agreement does not include the U.S., which has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Why bother changing our position now?

Greece - After a week of fighting wildfires, emergency crews in Greece say they have all the blazes under control. But officials are concerned that high winds and hot temperatures may reignite fires. Thousands of firefighters from Greece and other European countries remain on alert should the situation worsen. 64 people were killed as high winds and hot temperatures fanned fires on the Peloponnese Peninsula and the island of Evia, north of Athens costing the country about $1.7 billion US. Now that the fires are under control, the hard part can begin--recovery. Given how badly the government botched its handling of the fire, I don't see much chance of this relief effort going very smoothly. Here's hoping that I'm wrong.

Girl Power - German chancellor Angela Merkel again ranks No. 1 on Forbes magazine's list of the the world's 100 most powerful women (click here for the full list). Merkel, who became Germany's first female chancellor in 2005, topped the 2006 list too. Second place on the latest list goes to Chinese vice-premier Wu Yi. In third place is Ho Ching, wife of the prime minister of Singapore and head of a state-owned investment company. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was No. 1 in 2005 and No. 2 in 2006, comes fourth this time. Well done, Chancellor. No doubt, the Fatherland is proud of you. Or perhaps now, we should refer to Germany as the Motherland in recognition of your achievement.

Wrestling - World Wrestling Entertainment has suspended 10 of its wrestlers for violations of a policy that tests for steroids and other drugs. Under a WWE wellness policy instituted last year that requires tests for steroids and other drugs, a wrestler faces a 30-day suspension without pay for a first violation, a 60-day suspension for a second violation and firing for a third violation. Performers are tested at least four times per year. WWE said the company's practice has been to not release the names of suspended wrestlers, but the company has notified performers that starting Nov. 1 the names of those suspended for violating the policy will be made public. I'm not quite sure what to make of this. There aren't too many people left out there who think wrestling is actually a sport. Still, I suppose the WWE should be applauded for enforcing its drug policy just like any other business would do.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - An independent assessment concluded that Iraq has made little political progress in recent months despite an influx of U.S. troops. In a draft report circulated this week, the Government Accountability Office concluded that at least 13 of the 18 political and security goals for the Iraqi government have not been met. Administration officials swiftly objected to several of the findings and dismissed the report as unrealistically harsh because it assigned pass-or-fail grades to each benchmark, with little nuance. The GAO report is one of several assessments called for in May legislation that funded the war. So pretty much the reports that we were all expecting to see are starting to come out. The real question is, will the Administration do anything about it. So far, the answer has been 'stay the course' or 'troop surge.' There appear to be hints of evidence to suggest these strategies aren't working out as well as expected.

Virginia Tech - An independent panel's concluded that lives could have been saved had Virginia Tech officials warned the campus sooner that a killer was on the loose. Virginia Tech's president countered by saying, "No plausible scenario was made for how this horror could have been prevented once he began that morning." It took administrators more than two hours to get the first e-mail warning out after Seung-Hui Cho killed two people in a dormitory. In the interim, Cho mailed off a video confession to NBC and then made his way across the Blacksburg campus to a classroom building, where he killed 30 more victims and committed suicide. In the end, according to the report, administrators concluded that the shooting was a boyfriend-girlfriend dispute and that the gunman had probably left the campus. Also, the report noted, they were afraid of causing panic, as happened at the start of the school year, when the first day of classes was called off because an escaped murder suspect was on the loose near campus. At least nine other officials were wrestling with questions that had no easy answers: What's the best way to relay a message? What information would create mass panic? Which buildings should be notified? Was the gunman still on campus? In retrospect, most of their decisions proved wrong, and the e-mail alert they finally sent arrived too late to do any good — about 15 minutes before Cho started killing students and faculty locked inside Norris Hall. At the time, however, only two administrators had the ability to send campuswide e-mail, and the message first had to be formulated by the Policy Group, a body that includes nine vice presidents and several vice provosts and is chaired by the university president. It took a half-hour just to assemble the group. In fairness to all parties, no one person could have prevented this tragedy. The system was and still is flawed. Time will be much better spent learning from the breakdowns clearly evident in this case to do want can be done to avoid such an event in the future.

Myanmar - Myanmar's ruling junta hunted pro-democracy activists it blames for spearheading ongoing protests against rising fuel prices, a rare wave of dissent in the tightly controlled country. Protesters have held scattered demonstrations around the country in the past week and a half. But participation has dwindled from a few hundred people to a few dozen as the junta used menacing gangs of civilians to manhandle opponents. In Yangon, the country's largest city and its commercial center, truckloads of young, tough-looking enforcers hired by the government and directed by plainclothes security officials were parked at key points, ready to pounce on anyone suspected of trying to spark unrest. Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The ruling junta, which has come under widespread international criticism for violating human rights, tolerates little public dissent. At least 100 people have been arrested since a rare string of anti-government rallies began on August 19 over a massive hike in fuel prices, according to activists.Another clear cut case of the familiar adage, "when we want your opinion, we'll give it to you."

On the off chance that some of you out there have never heard of Myanmar (courtesy of Wikipedia)...Myanmar, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia, and is also known as Burma. It is bordered by China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest.

2008 Presidential Race - Republican Fred Thompson said he would formally launch his 2008 run for the White House next week with a webcast and a five-day tour of early voting states. Thompson, a former Tennessee senator and Hollywood actor, had delayed his announcement for months, keeping supporters on edge and raising questions about his enthusiasm and commitment to what could be a grueling presidential run. Thompson's candidacy has stirred intense grass-roots interest among Republicans, particularly conservatives dissatisfied with the rest of the Republican pack. Campaign officials held a conference call with supporters to inform them of Thompson's plans. Thompson has been billed as a social conservative in the mold of former President Ronald Reagan, filling a void for conservatives dubious about his leading Republican rivals, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Oh goodie. I was begininng to worry that I would have enough candidates to choose from. For the record, there are 8 Democratic candidates still in the running (poor old Tom Vilsack had to drop out in February due to lack of funds) and 9 GOP candidates (Jim Gilmore and Tommy Thompson dropped out in July and August respectively due to lack of voter interest). It's like getting the chance to pick how we want to die. There are no appealing choices, but at least we get to pick.


California - San Jose, Northern California's largest city is also the wealthiest urban center in the nation, with a median household income of $74,000. Two other California cities, San Francisco and San Diego, finished in the top three as well, according to newly released data by the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Seattle and Las Vegas rounded out the top five richest cities of 500,000 people or more. Economists said rising median income reflects the improving fortunes of white-collar Silicon Valley workers since 2000, when the dot-com stock market bubble burst and tens of thousands of workers lost jobs. But some public policy experts said the high median masked a growing inequality between rich and poor and failed to take into account the exorbitant cost of living in the greater San Francisco Bay area. Essentially this report gives you a little tidbit of local knowledge that those of us who live here already know. DAMN!!! This place is expensive.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took his Mahdi Army out of action for up to six months to overhaul the feared Shiite militia — a stunning move that underscores the growing struggles against breakaway factions with suspected ties to Iran. The announcement by al-Sadr — who formed the militia after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 — appeared aimed at distancing himself from suspected Iranian-backed Mahdi factions he can no longer control. The Mahdi Army was also blamed for killing thousands of Sunnis and forcing others from their homes during a wave of sectarian reprisal attacks after the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra. But it is unclear how much control the 33-year-old al-Sadr maintains over now-fragmented organization. Estimates of the number of Mahdi fighters vary widely, with some as high as 50,000 to 60,000 nationwide. You have to appreciate the irony here. On one hand we have a foreign army (ours) fighting in Iraq despite numerous calls for withdrawl, while on the other hand there is a domestic militia (theirs) that is pulling out of the fighting despite strong desires among the ranks to shoot anything that moves.

Pakistan - Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf has agreed to step down as army chief, exiled Prime Minister Benazhir Bhutto said, a move that would be a key step toward a power-sharing deal aimed at rescuing the U.S. ally's bid for another presidential term. Bhutto, who is expected to return to her homeland and contest parliamentary elections due by January, also said corruption charges would be dropped against her and dozens of other politicians as part of ongoing negotiations to restore civilian rule. Musharraf and Bhutto have been in talks for months about a pact that would protect the general's re-election bid from legal challenges and public disenchantment with military rule. Here's why I don't like politicians. Usually when you step down its because no one wants you for the job--that's the way it works in pretty much every job known to humankind. Not true in government. No no. You step down one step so you can jump ahead two down the road. And they wonder why the general public distrusts politicians.

Mexico - Here's another reason why I don't like politicians...they are spineless wienies. Facing noisy protests by leftist deputies, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has turned his back on Congress and booked a Mexico City concert hall to deliver his first state-of-the-nation speech. Calderon was due to address Congress and the nation on September 1, but left-wing lawmakers who contest his election win last year vowed to derail the tradition-steeped annual event, as they did a year ago with the outgoing Vicente Fox. To avoid any rumpus, Calderon will address the nation a day late, on Sept 2, from the Auditorio Nacional concert hall surrounded by supporters from his National Action Party.On September 1, he will merely hand a printed copy of his speech in to Congress and walk away.

Senate - Idaho Senator Larry Craig's political support eroded by the hour as fellow Republicans in Congress called for him to resign and party leaders pushed him unceremoniously from senior committee posts. The White House expressed disappointment, too — and nary a word of support for the 62-year-old lawmaker, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge stemming from an undercover police operation in an airport men's room. For the most part, Democrats studiously avoided involvement with an unfolding Republican scandal. Finally, a smart move by the Democrats. Seriously, how much more damage could they pile on than Craig's GOP colleagues have already done?

Global Climate - Climate change may carry a higher risk of flooding than was previously thought, the journal Nature reports. Researchers say efforts to calculate flooding risk from climate change do not take into account the effect carbon dioxide has on vegetation. Higher atmospheric levels of this greenhouse gas reduce the ability of plants to suck water out of the ground and "breathe" out the excess. Their reduced ability to release water back into the atmosphere will result in the ground becoming saturated. I'm sure it will be of great comfort to all the folks throughout the world who have lost their homes to flooding, that we have a new therory to explain why.

Stock Market - Same old, same old. Down 200 points yesterday, up 200 points today (247 to be precise). I wonder you those day traders are down with their blood pressure medication?

What Caught My Eye Today

Senate - A defiant Sen. Larry Craig denied any wrongdoing Tuesday despite his guilty plea this summer in a men's room police sting at the Minneapolis Airport, emphatically adding, "I am not gay. I have never been gay." Craig, a third-term senator from Idaho, proclaimed his innocence as well as his sexuality less than an hour after Senate leaders from his own Republican Party called for an ethics committee review of his case. His account contrasted sharply with the complaint in the case, in which an undercover officer said that Craig, while occupying a stall in the men's room, engaged in actions "often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct." Craig was read his rights, fingerprinted and required to submit to a mug shot at the time of his arrest. Police notes also show that on June 22, 11 days after the arrest, Craig returned to the police station and said no one had yet contacted him about his case. The senator signed and dated his guilty plea to a charge of disorderly conduct on Aug. 1, and court papers indicate it was submitted by mail and filed a week later. The court docket said Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed. For an educated man, as I assume Senator Craig to be, he doesn't seem to be acting to intelligently here. If he wasn't guilty of the charges, why would he go back to the police 11 days after the arrest to ask about his case? Dude, just take your medicine. Trying to cover it up is only going to make you look more guilty than you already are.

Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that U.S. political influence in Iraq is "collapsing rapidly" and said his government is ready to help fill any power vacuum. The hard-line leader also defended Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a fellow Shiite Muslim who has been harshly criticized by American politicians for his unsuccessful efforts to reconcile Iraq's Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. "The political power of the occupiers is collapsing rapidly," Ahmadinejad said. "Soon, we will see a huge power vacuum in the region. Of course, we are prepared to fill the gap, with the help of neighbors and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, and with the help of the Iraqi nation." Ahmadinejad did not elaborate on his remarks, an unusual declaration of Iran's interest in influencing its neighbor's future. The mention of a Saudi role appeared aimed at allaying the fears of Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim nations that Iran wants to dominate in Iraq. I appreciate that I'm probably in the minority here, but I say, have at Mr. President. And good luck. If things don't work out the way we like, we can invade them the same way with did Iraq, in the name of national security...assuming, of course, we can find some way to blame them for September 11 as well.

NASA - Former astronaut Lisa Nowak is pursuing a temporary insanity defense on charges that she assaulted and tried to kidnap a romantic rival. Nowak, 44, was arrested in February after confronting Colleen Shipman, the girlfriend of a former space shuttle pilot Nowak had been seeing. The former astronaut allegedly stalked Shipman at the Orlando airport, then attacked her as Shipman arrived at her car. Police say the married mother of three had driven nearly 1,000 miles from Houston to Orlando, using diapers to avoid taking breaks, and then pepper-sprayed Shipman while trying to get into her vehicle. Shipman was able to drive away, and Nowak was arrested. Police said she had a duffel bag with her that contained a steel mallet, 4-inch knife and a BB gun. Nowak was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault and has pleaded not guilty. Her defense attorney said, Nowak suffered from major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia and "brief psychotic disorder with marked stressors." He also noted that the already petite Nowak recently lost 15 percent of her body weight and struggled with "marital separation." I'm not sure this is necessarily a good thing, but this defense sounds like it might actually work. This broad certainly sounds nuts.

Greece - Firefighting teams from across Europe are continuing to battle forest fires raging across southern Greece, which have claimed at least 63 lives. Several EU countries have sent their own firefighters, backed by planes and helicopters, to help tackle the blazes. Some 27 villages have been entirely abandoned and many parts of the Peloponnese peninsula are still ablaze. The Greek opposition has attacked the government's response to the crisis, calling it "totally incompetent". The EU help is said to be the union's largest offer of emergency assistance to a member state. Check out this map from the BBC to see the affected areas. It's almost beyond belief.

Tennis - The year's last major, The U.S. Open began yesterday. The first round concludes today. So far on the men's side, no major upsets. Among the seeded players, the highest seed player to lose was #21, Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero. Familiar names like Federer, Roddick, Blake, Nadal and Hewitt all advanced. On the women's side, it was pretty much the same story. Daniela Hantuchova (9) was the top seeded to get ousted, but then again she always bombs out early in majors. Henin, Sharapova, Jankovic and both Williams sisters cruised through to the second round. So for my picks, here we go:

Men's Draw: Nadal (2) over Federer(1) in the final; Dark horse pick: Lleyton Hewitt (16)
Women's Draw: Serena Williams (8) over Sharapova (2) in the final; Dark horse: Venus Williams (10)

What Caught My Eye Today

Attorney General - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation, after months of draining controversy, drew expressions of relief from Republicans and a vow from Democrats to pursue their investigation into fired federal prosecutors. Apart from the president, there were few Republican expressions of regret following the departure of Gonzales. As counsel, Gonzales helped get Bush excused from jury duty in 1996, which kept him from having to disclose a drunken driving arrest in Maine in 1976. The episode became public in the final days of the 2000 presidential campaign. Gonzales was White House counsel during the president's first term, then replaced Ashcroft as attorney general soon after the beginning of the second. Both jobs gave him key responsibilities in the administration's global war on terror that followed the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In a legal memo in 2002, he contended that Bush had the right to waive anti-torture laws and international treaties that protected prisoners of war. The memo said some of the prisoner-of-war protections contained in the Geneva Conventions were "quaint" and that in any event, the treaty did not apply to enemy combatants in the war on terror. Human rights groups later contended his memo led directly to the abuses exposed in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq. I've of the belief that this was the only course of action that Bush and Gonzales could take at this point. As for Bush complaining that Gonzales was dragged through the mud, that may well be, but it was Gonzales who put himself there in the first place.

Virginia Tech - Students returning to the Virginia Tech campus held a memorial for the 27 students and 5 faculty members murdered on campus last spring. More than 10,000 people atttend the unveiling of the memorial--32 300-pound stones engraved with the names of the students and faculty massacred by Seung-Hui Cho before he killed himself. I applaud the Virginia Tech community for carrying on. You should never forget the tragedy of last May, but you cannot stop living either.

Brazil - Brazil will begin offering free sex-change operations to transsexuals. The move was prompted by a federal court ruling that the procedures must be covered by the public health system. Patients must be 21 years old and mentally healthy, apart from their gender dysphoria. Local officials will determine who qualifies for the coverage. Hats off to the dude who convinces the court to rule this way. That must have been one hell of a compelling argument. And how fascinating would it be to sit in with some of these local officials to evaluate a petition for a sex-change?

Estonia - A temperance movement has sprung up in Estonia in respone to an epidemic of binge drinking. Alcohol kills up to 2,000 Estonians a year, in a nation of just 1.3 million. Estonia has been awash in cheap booze since it split from the Soviet Union, in 1991. Excessive drinking causes high rates of cirrhosis and alcohol poisoning, and drunken Estonians frequently have unprotected sex, resulting in an HIV rate among the highest in Europe. You know, if you take out the word "Estonia" from this story, you could be talking about the average big campus university here in the States. Kind of disturbing, isn't it?

America - America might not be called "America" if it were not for a 500 year old publishing error. Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer that America is named for, may not really be deserving of the honor. The former gem trader and pimp did cross the Atlantic at least twice after Columbus pioneered the way, but Vespucci was a better storyteller than a navigator. He set sail under the Spanish flag in 1499 and again in 1502, making several minor discoveries. He then published a "tarted up" account of his adventures in a 1504 best seller. Three years later geographers working in France came across the book, read the false claims, then quickly added the word "America" to their influential book of world maps. By the time the error was discovered, the name had already stuck. It's just as well I suppose. How lame would it be to call ourselves the United States of Christopher Columbus?

Cars - At long last there has been a poll released for the worst car designs of all time. Here are the top five:

1. AMC Pacer
2. Yugo - its worth noting that the entire company was called out, not just one model
3. Ford Pinto
4. Pontiac Aztek
5. Chevolet Vega

Let's here it for the mighty U.S. of A. (or Columbus, if you prefer) for take 4 of the top 5 spots.

What Caught My Eye Today

Utah - A drill punched a sixth hole through a mine shaft and found no sign of six miners last seen before a massive collapse nearly three weeks ago. Crandall Canyon Mine co-owner Bob Murray has said this hole, the sixth to be drilled deep into the mountain, will be the last effort to find a sign of the miners, who may not have survived the massive cave-in Aug. 6. Previous holes have yielded only grainy video images and poor air samples. Efforts to signal the miners have been met with silence. Tunneling into the mine was abandoned after another collapse killed three rescue workers and injured six others on Aug. 16. Federal officials and mine company executives have said the mountain's instability makes it too dangerous to drill a hole wide enough for a one-person rescue capsule unless there are signs of life. It certainly appears more and more likely that this mine is going to take on a purpose--that of a tomb.

War on Terror - GOP Sen. John Warner, who wants U.S. troops to start coming home from Iraq by Christmas, said he may support Democratic legislation ordering withdrawals if President Bush refuses to set a return timetable soon. Warner, a former Navy Secretary and one-time chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is seen as someone who could influence the debate among senators who have grown increasingly uneasy about the unpopular war. He said it would be best for the president, not Congress, to make a decision on withdrawals and that overriding a presidential veto would be difficult. But Warner made clear his view that people are losing patience with the administration's strategy in Iraq, a significant change is needed in September and troop withdrawals were the best way to accomplish that. Despite his best efforts to avoid this situation, it seems that President Bush is losing support at an increasing pace and is backing himself into a corner. Like it or not, Bush is going to have to decide on what terms the U.S. troops are going to be withdrawn--his or Congress'.

Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is fighting to hold his government together, issued a series of stinging ripostes against a variety of foreign officials who recently have spoken negatively about his leadership. Al-Maliki launched the verbal counteroffensive in the final days before the American commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker are due in Washington to report to Congress on progress in Iraq since the introduction of 30,000 more America troops. The Shiite prime minister said a negative report by Petraeus would not cause him to change course, although he said he expected that the U.S. general would "be supportive of the government and will disappoint the politicians who are relying on it" to be negative. Speaking of leaders without much room to manuever, al-Maliki is completely screwed. Even if you discount foreign criticisms, most of his own Cabinet has walked out on him.

Pakistan - And, oh yes, I almost forgot about President General Pervez Musharraf. Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that his arch rival, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup, can return from exile, leaving the general vulnerable at home and abroad ahead of crucial elections. Talks with another ex-prime minister on a pact that would keep Musharraf in office are proving tough. And U.S. impatience with his failure to eliminate Taliban and al-Qaida strongholds near the Afghan border is growing. Musharraf has been on the defensive since an ill-advised attempt in March to fire the country's chief justice. Attempts to quell protests and suppress television coverage of the crisis damaged the Pakistani president's standing, even among his own supporters. It also made it harder for Washington to defend its critical support for the military strongman. Seriously, dude, consider retirement. There are worse ways to spend your time than sipping pina coladas on some tropical island.

Greece - Massive fires consuming large areas of southern Greece for a third day raced toward the site of the ancient Olympics on Sunday, engulfing villages and forests as the flames reached one of the most revered sites of antiquity. Elsewhere, flames were less than two miles from the Temple of Apollo Epikourios, a 2,500-year-old monument. At least 58 people have been killed in the country's worst wildfires in decades. Government and firefighting officials have suggested arson caused many of the blazes, and several people had been arrested. Arson is often suspected, mostly to clear land for development. No construction is allowed in Greece in areas designated as forest land, and fires are sometimes set to circumvent the law. Nearly 4,000 soldiers, backed by military helicopters, were sent to reinforce firefighters over the past three days, and at least 12 countries were sending aid. One account that I read suggested that almost half the country had been torched by 60 different fires. That is almost beyond comprehension.

Money - After six decades in which the venerable greenback never changed its look, the U.S. currency has undergone a slew of makeovers. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing announced that a new security thread has been approved for the $100 bill. It combines micro-printing with tiny lenses — 650,000 for a single $100 bill. The lenses magnify the micro-printing in a truly remarkable way. Move the bill side to side and the image appears to move up and down. Move the bill up and down and the image appears to move from side to side. The new look is part of an effort to thwart counterfeiters who are armed with ever-more sophisticated computers, scanners and color copiers. The C-note, with features the likeness of Benjamin Franklin, is the most frequent target of counterfeiters operating outside the United States. The redesign of the $100 is about one-third of the way complete. The bill is expected to go into circulation late next year. I'm all for combatting counterfeiters, but how smart is it really, to explain in such detail what those security measures are and how they work? Doesn't that basically give these guys a blueprint to work from in perfecting their imitations?

What Caught My Eye Today

Congo - Increasing violent unrest in eastern DR (Democratic Republic) Congo may spark a huge increase in the numbers of people fleeing the fighting, the United Nations has warned. More than 160,000 people have already been displaced this year in the region's North Kivu province. Aid agencies believe a further 280,000 people may flee in the next six months. An ethnic Tutsi claims he is defending his people from Rwandan Hutu rebels, suspected to have participated in Rwanda´s 1994 genocide, who have been in eastern DR Congo ever since. The Rwandans are determined to prevent those Hutus who fled into DR Congo after the genocide from rebuilding their strength on foreign soil. With all the press coverage being given to the Middle East, we sometimes forget that there are other parts of the world in desperate need of assistance.

Speaking of which...

Sudan - The Sudanese government, which fought efforts to bring international peacekeepers to the devastated Darfur region, seems to be cooperating as the United Nations-mandated force takes shape. The Sudanese government is adamantly opposed to non-Africans playing any major role in the hybrid U.N.-African Union operation that was authorized by the U.N. Security Council on July 31 and will be made up of 20,000 peacekeepers and 6,000 civilian police. The United States is not providing troops but is expected to fund about a quarter of the mission's projected $2.4 billion annual cost. The way I heard on the street it was, we were going to send some troops, but for some reason, find our military forces stretched a bit thin at the moment. Gee whiz, I wonder were they all are?

Georgia - Before I begin, I want to point out that I'm talking about the country not the state. Georgian forces fired on a Russian plane flying over Georgian territory earlier this week, claiming residents nearby reported an explosion and fire afterward. Russia immediately denied the claim. The dispute came amid heated disagreement between the ex-Soviet neighbors over Georgian accusations of airspace violations by Russian military aircraft. Georgian authorities could not confirm the plane crashed, but said residents of the remote area reported hearing an explosion and seeing forest land burning. My first reaction was to cheer for the underdog, but then I remembered that picture of a topless Vladimir Putin and decided to reconsider. That dude could lay a serious hurting on you.

Criminal Justice - You have to read this to believe it. Nicole Richie was released from jail Thursday after serving 82 minutes of a four-day sentence for driving under the influence of drugs. The reality show star, who checked into a women's jail at 3:15 p.m., was released at 4:37 p.m. "based on her sentence and federal guidelines." Under a federal court mandate to manage jail overcrowding, arrestees sentenced to 30 days or less for a nonviolent offense are usually released within 12 hours. Richie was originally sentenced to 96 hours in jail, but that was reduced to 90 hours because of time served when she was arrested. Her time at the Century Regional Detention Facility was spent getting booked, including taking a mugshot and submitting her fingerprints. She didn't reach her jail cell. I don't take issue with the possibility that Richie's celebrity status may have had something to do with this (clearly it did). My problem is this--what sort of deterrent is a possible jail sentence for driving under the influence when you are basically looking at a stint that is shorter than most movies shown at the cineplex?

Football - Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick, indefinitely without pay, just hours after Vick filed a plea agreement that portrayed him as less involved than three co-defendants and guilty mainly of poor judgment for associating with them. Vick acknowledged bankrolling gambling on the dogfights, but denied placing bets himself or taking any of the winnings. He admitted that dogs not worthy of the pit were killed "as a result of the collective efforts" of himself and two co-defendants. The commissioner said Vick's admitted conduct was "not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible." Even if he didn't personally placed bets, Goodell said, "your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player." Good riddance, you jerk.

What Caught My Eye Today

Mexico - Hurricane Dean slammed into Mexico for the second time in as many days. Coming ashore with top sustained winds of 100 mph, Dean's center hit the tourism and fishing town of Tecolutla shortly after civil defense workers loaded the last evacuees onto army trucks and headed to inland shelters. Dean struck land as a Category 2 storm after regaining some of the force it unleashed on the Yucatan. Its first strike on the peninsula Tuesday as a Category 5 tempest with 165 mph winds was the third most intense Atlantic hurricane ever to make landfall. Officials said there were no reports of deaths in Mexico directly caused by Dean, which killed 20 people in its earlier sweep through the Caribbean. The toll rose today when Haitian officials said seven more storm deaths had been reported in remote areas. Dean's sustained winds dropped to 85 mph, Category 1, shortly after making landfall in late morning, and it was downgraded to a tropical storm by afternoon with winds of near 70 mph. So that about wraps it up for Hurricane Dean. So far no new weather systems appear on the horizon. Hopefully, that will give everyone affected by this storm time to catch their breaths.

Minnesota - Pounded and strained by heavy traffic and weakened by missing bolts and cracking steel, the failed interstate bridge over the Mississippi River also faced a less obvious enemy: pigeons. Inspectors began documenting the buildup of pigeon dung on the span near downtown Minneapolis two decades ago. Experts say the corrosive guano deposited all over the Interstate 35W span's framework helped the steel beams rust faster. Although investigators have yet to identify the cause of the bridge's Aug. 1 collapse, which killed at least 13 people and injured about 100, the pigeon problem is one of many factors that dogged the structure. Pigeon droppings contain ammonia and acids. If the dung isn't washed away, it dries out and turns into a concentrated salt. When water gets in and combines with the salt and ammonia, it creates small electrochemical reactions that rust the steel underneath. Okay, now I think I've heard everything.

China - China, on the defensive over the safety of its products, lashed out Wednesday at the U.S. by claiming its soybean exports contained pesticides, poisonous weeds and dirt. "Numerous quality problems" have been found with American soybeans, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it had not received any official complaints from China about contaminated soybeans. The accusations against the U.S. come as a growing number of countries are rejecting or recalling Chinese exports. China is facing a global backlash following discoveries of high levels of chemicals and toxins in a range of Chinese exports from toothpaste and seafood to pet food ingredients and toys. Beijing has tried to defend its safety record and reassure consumers by highlighting similar problems in other countries. Sounds like sour grapes to me. And honestly, are soybeans the best that China can come up with? How boring.

Russia - Vladimir Putin always makes headlines, but few could have predicted the squall of gossip and speculation that erupted after the president stripped off his shirt for the cameras while vacationing in the Siberian mountains last week. The Russian president, who is married with two daughters, has long cultivated an image of machismo and manliness. Well-known as a downhill skier and black belt in judo, Putin has appeared on national television driving a truck, operating a train, sailing on a submarine and copiloting a fighter jet. One radio talk show host speculated the photos were meant to enhance Putin's personal appeal to voters — a strong signal that he doesn't plan to relinquish power. Russian gay chat rooms and blogs were particularly intrigued by the photos: Some claimed that Putin, by stripping to his waist, was somehow pleading for more tolerance of homosexuality in Russia — where gays and lesbians are for the most part forced to remain closeted. One satirical photo circulating on the Internet jokingly compared Putin's mountain adventure with Prince Albert II of Monaco to the movie "Brokeback Mountain," a love story about two cowboys who conceal a homosexual affair. Laugh if you will, but this dude is ripped. Putin is sporting a pair of guns that don't need no stinking bullets, if you know what I mean.

Spain - State-run Spanish television has quietly yanked live coverage of bullfighting from its programming, ending a decades-old tradition of showcasing the national pastime out of concern that the deadly duel between matador and beast is too violent for children. Many in the bullfighting world are livid over what they see as a slight to a cherished piece of Spanish culture. Promoters report 65 million people went to bullfights in Spain last year, and pulling them off free television is unfair to older people or those who cannot afford to go to the ring or watch on cable. I agree. What's wrong with showing some guy slaughting a bull over dinner? The kids shouldn't mind, after all, no self respecting Spanish child would get the heebie jeebies over something so patriotic as a bull fight.

What Caught My Eye Today

Mexico - Hurricane Dean swept across the Yucatan peninsula, toppling trees, power lines and houses as it bore down on the heart of Mexico's oil industry. President Felipe Calderon said no deaths were immediately reported. Dean weakened over land but is expected to strengthen as its eye moves over the Bay of Campeche, home to more than 100 oil platforms and three major oil exporting ports. The sprawling, westward storm was projected to slam into the mainland Wednesday afternoon with renewed force near Laguna Verde, Mexico's only nuclear power plant. Dean was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall since record keeping began in the 1850s. The deadliest storm to hit Latin America in modern times was 1998's Hurricane Mitch, which killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 8,000 missing, most in Honduras and Nicaragua. Two items of note here. 13 deaths versus 11,000 deaths less than a decade ago? Somebody must be doing something right. Secondly, Mexico has a nuclear power plant? Who knew?

Iraq - Lots of news related to this little oasis of peace and love...

First up, President Bush acknowledged his frustration with Iraqi leaders' inability to bridge political divisions, but he said only the Iraqi people can decide whether to sideline the troubled prime minister. "I think there's a certain level of frustration with the leadership in general, inability to work — come together to get, for example, an oil revenue law passed or provincial elections," Bush said. "The fundamental question is, Will the government respond to the demands of the people? And, if the government doesn't demand — or respond to the demands of the people, they will replace the government. That's up to the Iraqis to make that decision, not American politicians." While on one hand I agree with the President, that the decision is up to the Iraqi people, I have to question what our response will be if the Iraqis decide to replace their existing government.

Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Democrat Barack Obama said the recent increase in American troops in Iraq may well have helped tamp down violence, but he insisted there is no military solution to the country's problems and U.S. forces should be redeployed soon. "All of our top military commanders recognize that there is no military solution in Iraq," Obama said. "No military surge can succeed without political reconciliation and a surge of diplomacy in Iraq and the region. Iraq's leaders are not reconciling. They are not achieving political benchmarks. The only thing they seem to have agreed on is to take a vacation." With all due respect, Senator, I don't think there is a same person out there who doesn't agree with you. I want to know what you are going to do to facilitate a political reconciliation? It's easy to criticize what isn't working. If you want my vote, convince me that you have a plan that will work.

Russia - Russia wants the Shanghai Cooperation Organization--an intergovernmental body that includes Russia, Chiana, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan--to transform from an economic partnership into a military alliance. With two large nuclear arsenals and more than 4 million servicemen, Russia and China and the "Stans' would have more powere than all NATO armies put together. Whether China will go for the idea is an open question. Any way you look at this, there doesn't seem to be much of an upside for the U.S. if this deal goes down.

Space Shuttle - As the wounded space shuttle Endeavour brought its seven astronauts safely home today, NASA is looking ahead to three more launches at risk for the same kind of damage. The 3 1/2-inch-long gouge in Endeavour's belly did not put the astronauts at risk. And as soon as the damaged tiles are popped off, engineers will know whether repairs are needed to the underlying aluminum structure. The gash seemed to weather the return flight well, NASA said. It's analyzing a variety of temporary bracket solutions, which may or may not be in place before the next space station construction mission in late October. Making the brackets with titanium, which would require far less foam insulation than the aluminum version, is the permanent solution ordered after the problem first cropped up last summer. But that won't happen until next spring. By then, NASA will be just two years from retiring its three remaining space shuttles after wrapping up a demanding schedule for finishing construction of the international space station. What strikes me as somewhat amusing is that for all these millions of pieces that make up the space shuttle and the ridiculously explosive liquid oxygen used to power it, it's a teeny-weeny piece of foam or ice that is causing so many problems.

Music Industry - U.S. audio cassette sales hit about 700,000 in 2006, down from a peak of 442 million in 1990. Despite the near ubiquity of the CD and other forms of digital music, the audiocassette still has a strong following among the blind, religious groups, and court stenographers. There's a joke in there somewhere, I just know there is.

What Caught My Eye Today

Mexico - Tens of thousands of tourists fled the beaches of the Mayan Riviera on Monday as monstrous Hurricane Dean roared toward the ancient ruins and modern oil installations of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun seemed likely to be spared a direct hit, but visitors abandoned its swank hotels to swarm outbound flights. Officials evacuated more rustic lodgings farther south, where Dean — which has killed at least 12 people across the Caribbean — is expected to smash ashore early Tuesday. Dean already had winds of 150 mph as it brushed past the Cayman Islands on Monday, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm could grow even stronger — into a giant Category 5 hurricane — before striking Mexico. Dean, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, raked Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Sunday, but both escaped the full brunt of the storm. Here's hoping this hurricane doesn't take any more lives. It certainly does seem as though officials are taking the necessary precautions to protect local populations.

Utah - Faced with a backlash over dimming hopes, a coal mine boss broke his self-imposed silence Monday to issue e-mails lowering expectations that six trapped coal miners will ever be recovered, dead or alive. As the rescue effort entered its third week, families pushed for rescuers to bore a hole into the mountain wide enough to accommodate a rescue capsule. Such capsules have been used to save miners in other disasters, but the men in the Crandall Canyon mine were thought to be more than 1,500 feet deeper than in previous rescues. Mine owners and federal officials have insisted for nearly two weeks that the men might be alive. But repeated efforts to signal the men have been met with silence, and air readings from a fourth narrow hole drilled more than 1,500 feet into the mountainside detected insufficient oxygen to support life in that part of the mine. Previous bore holes indicated better air in other cavities but no signs of the miners. As much as one can try to sympathize with the grief that these families are going through, it is hard to find fault in suspending underground rescue attempts after three rescuers lost their lives last week.

Space Shuttle - With the last bit of shuttle imagery analyzed, NASA cleared Endeavour on Monday for its return to Earth, bringing the spaceship home a day early because of hurricane worries that later evaporated. Mission managers gave the go-ahead after engineers finished evaluating the latest laser images of the shuttle's wings and nose and concluded there were no holes or cracks from micrometeorites or space junk. NASA reiterated Monday that the unrepaired gouge in Endeavour's belly will pose no danger to the shuttle or its seven astronauts during the hourlong descent. A week of thermal analyses and tests also indicated that no lengthy postflight repairs should be required either. NASA does not plan to launch another space shuttle until the problem is solved. A permanent solution, replacing the aluminum alloy brackets with titanium ones requiring less insulating foam, won't be ready until spring. That leaves three missions at risk, including the next one, currently set for October. What I don't get is that if the problem is not that serious (and let's not forget, that the astronauts have been trained to repair such damage in space), why is NASA suspending future missions. Something just doesn't sound right.

North America - President Bush met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to craft a plan to secure their borders in the event of a terrorist strike or other emergency without creating traffic tie-ups that slowed commerce at crossings after the Sept. 11 attacks. More broadly, the goal of the North American summit was to seek middle ground on shared concerns about the border and a host of other issues ranging from energy to trade, food safety to immigration. Few, if any, formal announcements were expected. The meeting served to address thorny problems between the U.S. and its neighbors to the North and South and bolster a compact — dubbed the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America — that serves as a way for the nations to team up on health, security and commerce. Calderon and Harper both want tight relations with Bush, yet don't want to be seen as proteges of the unpopular president or leave the impression that the U.S. is encroaching on their sovereignty. This is too close to call. Who is the bigger boob? Calderon and Harper for caring more about their 'public images' than doing the right thing for their countries, or Bush for making these guys have to worry about their 'images' in the first place? Let's call it a draw...They're all boobs.

Iraq - U.S. military officials are narrowing the range of Iraq strategy options and appear to be focusing on reducing the U.S. combat role in 2008 while increasing training of Iraqi forces, a senior military official told The Associated Press on Monday. The military has not yet developed a plan for a substantial withdrawal of forces next year. But officials are laying the groundwork for possible overtures to Turkey and Jordan on using their territory to move some troops and equipment out of Iraq, the official said. The main exit would remain Kuwait, but additional routes would make it easier and more secure for U.S. troops leaving western and northern Iraq. It is widely anticipated that the five extra Army brigades that were sent to the Baghdad area this year will be withdrawn by late next summer. But it is far less clear whether the Bush administration will follow that immediately with additional drawdowns, as many Democrats in Congress are advocating. It may not be perfect (or even close to that), but at least it is a start. I'm thrilled that there is finally a plan on the table for bringing troops home. Sure, we're only talking about reducing the troop levels in Iraq to pre-surge levels, but that's better than keeping them at the current deployment levels.

What Caught My Eye Today

Peru - The death toll rose to 450 in the magnitude-8 earthquake that devastated cities of adobe and brick in Peru's southern desert. Doctors struggled to help more than 1,500 injured, including hundreds who waited on cots in the open air, fearing more aftershocks would send the structures crashing down. President Alan Garcia flew by helicopter to Ica, a city of 120,000 where a quarter of the buildings collapsed, and declared a state of emergency. He said flights were reaching Ica to take in aid and take out the injured. Government doctors called off their national strike for higher pay to handle the emergency. "There has been a good international response even without Peru asking for it, and they've been very generous," Garcia said during a stop in Pisco, where so many buildings fell that streets were covered with small mountains of adobe bricks and broken furniture. The help includes cash from the United States, United Nations, Red Cross and European Union as well as tents, water, medicine and other supplies. The U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort, equipped with a staff of 800 and 12 operating rooms, is in Ecuador and could quickly sail to Peru if asked, U.S. officials said. In spite of the incredible tragedy these folks are going through, its times like this when you see evidence that the international community can rally together to ease some suffering. Too bad, it takes something like this for nations to act in a civilized manner.

Space Shuttle - NASA decided that no repairs are needed for a deep gouge in Endeavour's belly and that the space shuttle is safe to fly home. After meeting for five hours, mission managers opted against any risky spacewalk repairs, after receiving the results of one final thermal test. The massive amount of data indicated Endeavour would suffer no serious structural damage during next week's re-entry. Their worry was not that Endeavour might be destroyed and its seven astronauts killed in a replay of the Columbia disaster; the gouge is too small to be catastrophic. They were concerned that the heat of re-entry could weaken the shuttle's aluminum frame at the damaged spot and result in lengthy postflight repairs. Here's hoping these rocket scientists know what they're talking about.

Utah - Rescuers searching for six coal miners trapped for 10 days were drilling yet another hole into the mine, this time aiming for a spot where they had detected mysterious vibrations in the mountain. Officials said that the latest of three holes previously drilled reached an intact chamber with potentially breathable air. Video images were obscured by water running down that bore hole, but officials said they could see beyond it to an undamaged chamber in the rear of the mine. It yielded no sign the miners had been there. The drill holes can be used to pump air and send food down the mine, but the rescue effort is taking place underground, where miners have advanced to only 826 feet in nine days. They still have 1,200 feet to go to reach the area where the men were working. And so the vigil continues...

The King - Thousands of Elvis Presley fans braved 105-degree heat as they wound down Graceland's driveway in a graveside procession yesterday in advance of the 30th anniversary of the singer's death. some fans began lining up early in the morning for the candlelight vigil, setting up umbrellas and folding chairs on the sidewalk along four-lane Elvis Presley Boulevard. The procession, with fans walking mostly single-file and holding candles, filed up Graceland's long winding driveway and past Presley's grave in a small garden beside the white-columned house. The legendary entertainer, acclaimed as The King, died 30 years ago Thursday at age 42 of heart disease worsened by drug abuse. The vigil is the most popular and solemn anniversary event in a weeklong string of concerts, dances, movie screenings and other festivities put on by Graceland. No one keeps exact figures, but the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated up to 75,000 people would be drawn to town for the anniversary week. Elvis, lives, I tell you! This whole thing is just an elaborate CIA cover up. The King will never die!

What Caught My Eye Today

Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said he would push for a constitutional revision that would allow him to remain in office beyond his scheduled departure in 2012. After the change's near certain approval by parliament, it will face a national referendum. Critics say the reform will move Venezuela closer to a Cuban-style dictatorship. Chavez already has virtual control over the judiciary, and his supporters control all seats in the national legislature. Closer to Cuba, huh? Seems to me Venezuela is already there.

Iraq - Emergency workers and grieving relatives uncovered dozens of bodies in the wreckage of clay houses in northwest Iraq, sending the death toll from suicide truck bombings of a small Kurdish sect to at least 250 — the war's deadliest attack on a single area. A U.S. general said the nearly simultaneous strikes against the Yazidis — who have been attacked by Muslim extremists who consider them infidels — was an act of "ethnic cleansing." An American military spokesman blamed the attack on al-Qaida. The carnage dealt a serious blow to U.S. efforts to pacify the country, with just weeks before top U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker are to deliver a pivotal report to Congress amid a fierce debate over whether to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. U.S. officials believe extremists are attempting to regroup across northern Iraq after being driven from strongholds in and around Baghdad, and commanders have warned they expected Sunni insurgents to step up attacks in a bid to upstage the report.

And speaking of the highly anticipated progress report...

Gen. David Petraeus said he was preparing recommendations on troop cuts before he returns to Washington next month for a report to Congress, and believes the U.S. footprint in Iraq will have to be "a good bit smaller" by next summer. But he cautioned against a quick or significant U.S. withdrawal that could surrender "the gains we have fought so hard to achieve." He went on to say, "We know that the surge has to come to an end, there's no question about that. I think everyone understands that by about a year or so from now we've got to be a good bit smaller than we are right now." It's hard to gauge how successful the troop surge has been base solely on media reports (which, frankly, don't paint that great of a picture), bu tone has to admire Petraeus for acknowledging the reality that this war has almost no public support anymore.

Afghanistan - Hundreds of U.S.-led troops have launched an offensive against al-Qaida and Taliban militants in an area of eastern Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden once hid. I point this out, if for no other reason, wondering why this is particularly newsworthy. Wasn't going after these guys the reason why we went to Afghanistan in the first place? If we aren't launching offensives against the enemy, why else would we be there?

Utah - To make a long story short, the rescue attempt is going on 9 days with no signs of life reported from the mine. That can't be good.

Government - A new poll has been published confirming what most of us already know. The President and Congress rank somewhere below terminal diseases in terms of favorability. The poll shows Bush's approval ratings at 35%, and Congress' even lower, 25%. Only 27%of those polled said the country is headed in the right direction, and 39% said they support the Iraq war, with 58% opposed. Of the 74%expressing congressional disapproval, 22% said lawmakers generally aren't doing their jobs. Another 20% cited a specific issue for their unhappiness. 12% said they disapprove of Congress because lawmakers care only about themselves and their party, while 10% cited backstabbing and infighting. So let's see here--ineptitude, inability to problem solve, selfishness and politics as usual--I'd say that just about covers the main flaws in our government.

Fashion - Esquire magazine released its 2007 list Best Dressed Men in the World. Here are the top 10:

1. Tom Brady, NFL Quarterback -- There's something wrong with a best dressed list when a pro football player grabs the top spot.
2. Jay-Z, Record Executive -- According to Esquire, he's also been given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Previous winners include Lyle Lovett, Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
3. Daniel Craig, Actor -- I guess this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. He is James Bond, after all.
4. Barack Obama, Presidential Candidate -- Yeah, this should give him a boost in the polls.
5. Andre Balazs, Hotelier -- I got nothing; never heard of the guy.
6. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France -- If you think this is weird, check out who got the 10 spot.
7. Hidetoshi Nakata, Former Soccer Player -- Goose eggs, again; don't know him.
8. Ryan Gosling, Actor -- Is it just me or does Gosling with a beard bare a striking resemblance to David Arquette?
9. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, President of Ferrari -- Dude runs Ferrari. Of course he's going to dress well.
10. Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan -- I'm truly at a loss for words on this one.

What Caught My Eye Today

China - It hasn't been a good week for the Chinese.

Toymaker, Mattel, recalled 9 million Chinese-made toys because of dangers to children from lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed. The new recall includes about 9.3 million play sets that contain small, powerful magnets and 253,000 die cast cars that contain lead paint. The recall was the latest blow to the toy industry, which has had a string of recalled products from China. With about 80 percent of toys sold worldwide made in China, toy sellers are worried shoppers will shy away from their products. It was also the second recall involving lead paint for Mattel in two weeks. Earlier this month, consumers were warned about 1.5 million Chinese-made Fisher-Price toys that contain lead paint.

And in other news (see if this reminds you of any recent news here in the U.S.)...

The collapse of a bridge under construction that left at least 29 people dead in a Chinese tourist town rekindled concerns about rushed, shoddy building amid the country's economic expansion. Rescuers managed to save 86 people, including 22 who were injured, many from the 123 workers on the site at the time of the collapse. The collapse was likely to fuel already deep public concerns about the quality of construction in a country undergoing breakneck economic development and where corruption among contractors and officials is common. The state-run China Daily, in a report Tuesday, said that the Ministry of Communications last year deemed 6,300 bridges as dangerous because of serious damage to their "structural components." Police detained two officials from the builder, the state-owned Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Co. Premier Wen Jiabao called for a thorough investigation into the collapse, saying those responsible would be "severely dealt with." I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be in these guys' shoes. Not if the government deals with these folks the same way it did for those responsible for the food tainting scandal a couple of months ago.

Hawaii - Hurricane Flossie was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane but stayed on course to brush the Big Island, where schools were closed and residents were urged to stock up on food and water. As if the storm wasn't enough, an 5.3 magnitude earthquake jolted the Big Island of Hawaii during the night. It was expected to pass less than 100 miles from the islands, lashing the shores with strong wind and up to 10 inches of rain, meteorologists said. The Big Island is largely rural, with about 150,000 people, and most live in the west or northeast, not the southern portion expected to be hit hardest by the hurricane. Other islands are expected to get much less of the storm's wind and rain. I'm not saying that getting stuck in a hurricane would ever be a pleasant experience, but we are talking about Hawaii. There are worse places to be stuck...like say, the Superdome.

North Korea - Compared to what's going on in Southeast Asia, that deal in Hawaii is nothing. North Korea is seeking foreign help after massive flooding left hundreds dead or missing and swept away many buildings. North Korea's official news agency said in a report that floodwaters caused "tens of thousands of hectares of farmland (to be) inundated, buried under silt and washed away." The report went on to say at least 800 public buildings and more than 540 bridges had been washed away, while sections of railroad had been destroyed and thousands of homes ruined. The flooding has hit most of the southern half of North Korea and includes the capital and some of its most productive agricultural regions. More rain is forecast for those areas over the next few days. Years of mismanagement of the farming sector mean the country does not produce enough food to feed its nearly 23 million people. Famine in the mid-to-late-1990s might have killed up to 10 percent of the population. Here's a question for Kim Il Jong. How are those nukes helping your people now?

Auto Industry - U.S. car buyers appear to be more satisfied with their purchases than ever, despite some quality stumbles by Asian brands, according to the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index. The survey noted that Japanese and Korean automakers saw their largest single-year drop in customer satisfaction since 1996. The Toyota brand, in particular, dropped 3 points to 84, which the survey blamed on increasing vehicle recalls and poor customer service. U.S. automakers are narrowing the gap with their Asian rivals but they're still behind.

Here are the top 10 (score out of a possible 100):
1. Lexus (Toyota) - 87
2. Cadillac (GM) - 86
3. Lincoln/Mercury (Ford) - 86
4. Buick (GM) - 86
5. BMW - 86
6. Honda - 84
7. Toyota - 84
8. Hyundai - 83
9. Mercedes Benz - 83
10. Chevrolet (GM) - 82

Rankings aside (props to Detroit for getting its act together), this ACSI web site is pretty cool.

Football - I want to preface this by offering my apologies for focusing on the one or two morons in the NFL who are giving the rest of the league a bad name. I can only surmise that bad news makes better press than good news.

Two more co-defendants in Michael Vick's federal dogfighting case scheduled hearings to enter plea agreements. Last month, another co-defendant pleaded guilty to his role in a dogfighting conspiracy he says was financed almost entirely by the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. He agreed to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of Vick who is accused of running an interstate dogfighting enterprise known as "Bad Newz Kennels" on Vick's property. Vick has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. The gruesome details outlined in the indictment against Vick have fueled public protests against Vick and prompted the suspension of some of his lucrative endorsement deals. Also, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp. I say they put Vick in a ring with the dogs that he has been using and let them dole out 'some justice' on this jerk.

And then there is this idiot, "Pacman" Jones. Adam "Pacman" Jones made his much-anticipated Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in-ring debut Sunday night on TNA's "Hard Justice" pay-per-view event. Following a 48-hour period in which questions loomed as to whether Jones would even be able to appear at the event after the Tennessee Titans initially filed a restraining order to bar him from making an appearance, Jones debuted according to the terms of the agreement between TNA and the Titans. Given that the agreement barred the suspended cornerback from touching anyone else or being touched, as well as from using any objects to hit anyone or being hit by any objects, Jones' debut while in the ring was relatively uneventful, but it didn't take long for him to get involved in a backstage storyline. Prior to the following match, the commentators announced that there was breaking news in the backstage area, and a camera cut away to Jones, who was shown down on the ground in the backstage area holding his shoulder with apparent blood over his eye. A few minutes later, the cameras once again went to the back, showing Jones on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance. Despite the implication that Jones had engaged in contact and violated the contract, none of the backstage "attack" was shown, and when being taken out on the stretcher, it appeared as though Jones had a smirk on his face. What a putz! No one is worth this much trouble. The Titans should do themselves a favor and let this schmuck go get his clock cleaned in professional wrestling. His football days are over.

What Caught My Eye Today

White House - Karl Rove, the political mastermind behind President Bush's races for the White House and an adviser with unparalleled influence over the past 6 1/2 turbulent years, announced his resignation ending a partnership stretching back more than three decades. It was a major loss for Bush as he heads into the twilight of his presidency, battered in the polls, facing a hostile Democratic Congress and waging an unpopular war. A half dozen other senior advisers have left in recent months, forcing the White House to rebuild its staff at the same time the president is running out of influence. Rove was the most polarizing aide in the White House. He urged an uncompromising, take-no-prisoners stand in political battles. "Karl Rove was an architect of a political strategy that has left the country more divided, the special interests more powerful, and the American people more shut out from their government than any time in memory," Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama said. Rove said his resignation would not stop lawmakers from investigating him. He came under scrutiny in a criminal investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name and more recently refused to testify before Congress about the firing of U.S. attorneys, citing executive privilege. You get the feeling that Democrats are all pissed off now. I bet you they were licking their lips at the prospect of nailing Rove while still under the employ of President Bush. Of course, that assumes they could present actual proof of wrongdoing.

Utah - Ghostly video images from deep underground showed shards of broken rock, a twisted conveyor belt and dripping water but no signs of life as the arduous search for six missing miners stretched into a second week. "There are many reason to have hope still," said Bob Murray, head of Murray Energy Corp. and co-owner of the mine. But he acknowledged the search, which has been interrupted by additional cave-ins and two 1,800-foot holes that came up empty and prolonged silence from underground, has not gone as smoothly as planned. Meanwhile, memos from an engineering firm revealed concern about structural problems at the mine as early as March, when a different underground area was damaged. There will be plenty of time for finger pointing later, and you know there is going to be a lot of it. For the moment, I have to side with Mr. Murray in keeping hope alive for the safe rescue of these mineres. I'd be lying, though, if I didn't say that the prospects for a happy outcome are growing dimmer with each passing hour.

Space Shuttle - Spacewalking astronauts wrestled a 600-pound gyroscope into place on the International Space Station, while NASA managers assessed a small but deep pit in shuttle Endeavour's heat shield. Astronauts replaced one of the space station's four gyroscopes, which spin like tops to keep the outpost properly positioned in orbit, without the use of gas-burning rocket thrusters. Meanwhile, mission managers discussed what to do about a deep cut in two of Endeavour's heat-resistant belly tiles, discovered shortly before the shuttle parked at the station. The gouge was caused by a piece of insulating foam, possibly mixed with ice, that broke off the shuttle's fuel tank during launch Wednesday and slammed into the underside of the orbiter In addition to deciding if fixing Endeavour's heat shield during the mission is necessary to stave off more serious damage from re-entry, which could delay future flights on Endeavour, NASA faces a larger question of whether additional modifications to the tank must be made before any shuttle is cleared for flight. The agency is pressing to complete 11 more construction missions to the space station, two resupply flights and a final servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope before the shuttles are retired in three years. Well, I suppose its times like this when you take some solace in the fact that NASA really does have a bunch of rocket scientists working on the problem.

2008 Presidential Race - Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday shrugged off his 10th-place finish in the Iowa straw poll this past weekend, calling such contests meaningless. The Arizona senator, starting a two-day swing through early voting South Carolina, skipped the Iowa straw poll along with Rudy Giuliani and all-but-declared candidate Fred Thompson. Mitt Romney easily won the Republican-run contest, with Mike Huckabee a distant second and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback third. While the straw poll outcome has no direct impact on the Iowa delegates who will attend next summer's 2008 Republican national convention, candidates have in the past used high placements to demonstrate strength and build momentum in advance of the Iowa caucuses in January, as well as to force weaker competitors to reassess and, often, drop out of the race. Okay, so a couple of observations here. First, the fact that this poll is making national headlines is proof positive that this Presidential race started way too early. So in a way, I guess I agree with John McCain. Which brings me to my second point. Just out of curiosity, Senator, would you have called this a meaningless contest if you had won it?

Arctic - When I first reported this little news item (August 11), I had no idea how big it actually was. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter is headed to the Arctic this week on a mapping mission to determine whether part of this area can be considered U.S. territory, after recent polar forays by Russia and Canada. This is the third such U.S. Arctic mapping cruise -- others were in 2003 and 2004 -- and is not a response to a Russian mission this month to place a flag at the North Pole seabed, or a newly announced Canadian plan for an Arctic port, U.S. scientists said (Yeah, sure). Under the U.N. Law of the Sea treaty, every coastal state that has the potential to claim some part of the Arctic's undersea mineral wealth must make a claim to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Coastal states have rights to resources of the sea floor of their continental shelves. Under the Law of the Sea, a country gets 200 nautical miles of continental shelf automatically but may extend that if it meets certain geologic criteria, the oceanic administration said in a statement. The Bush administration wants Senate consent to join the Law of the Sea convention, which would give the United States the same rights as other treaty parties to protect coastal and ocean resources. If President Bush actually wants to sign onto anything associated with the U.N., I'm guessing there must be something of value up there.

Baseball - With his place in home run history secure, Barry Bonds says next season likely will be his last. Bonds said he wants to play one more season because he still has some reachable goals. "Yeah, I need to win a championship and get 3,000 hits, that would be nice to (end) my career," he said. Bonds currently has 2,919 hits. The last-place Giants are expected to undergo an offseason roster overhaul to get younger, and it is anticipated they may finally cut ties with 43-year-old Bonds despite his strong production -- 24 homers and 56 RBIs. Bonds, who has played for the Giants since 1993, is unsigned past this season. Not all that surprising if you think about it. It doesn't take much brain power to figure out that the ownership was probably keeping Bonds on the roster to fill the seats. With the homerun record in the bag, there isn't much incentive to keep the guy around much longer.

Golf - Tiger Woods was tested late but captured his 13th major title, fighting off back-nine charges by Woody Austin and Ernie Els to win the 89th PGA Championship by two strokes. World number one Woods fired a final-round one-under par 69 to finish 72 holes at Southern Hills Country Club on eight-under par 272 with Austin second after a 67 and three-time major winner Els third on 275 after shooting a 66. And now, here's a rundown of just a few of the 'is this guy for real?' statistics surrounding Tiger's latest accomplishment:

Woods moved five majors shy of matching the all-time career record of 18 major triumphs set by Jack Nicklaus. Woods now has won four Masters titles, four PGA Championships, three British Opens each and two US Opens.

Woods won his 13th major crown in his 44th major start as a professional. Nicklaus took his 13th major in his 53rd pro start at the 1975 Masters.

Woods improved to 13-for-13 in majors, and 40-3 in PGA events, when at least sharing the 54-hole lead. The last 11 PGA Championships have been won from the last pairing. All seven Southern Hills majors were won by 54-hole leaders.

Woods, who settled for sharing second at the Masters and US Open and 12th at the British Open, lifted the Wanamaker Trophy for his 59th PGA victory in 213 pro PGA starts, fifth-best on the all-time list.

Woods ranks three shy of Arnold Palmer's fourth-place career win total and five behind Ben Hogan. Sam Snead has the record at 82 with Nicklaus on 73.

What Caught My Eye Today

Utah - A video camera lowered into a mine where six workers have been missing for more than five days shows "survivable space," but attempts to signal the miners were met by silence. The nearly 9-inch-wide hole reached the void in the early morning darkness. Rescuers quickly shut down the drill rig and their compressors — anything that could drown out signs of life from down below — and rapped again and again on the drill steel in an attempt to contact the miners. Trapped miners, if they can hear the signal, are trained to respond in kind with tools or rocks. These signals, however, were met with silence. A smaller hole 2 1/2 inches wide that was drilled into the mine earlier was being used to pump oxygen into the void. Sampling of air in that hole had found oxygen levels too low for survival. The two holes are 130 feet apart. The void is 1,868 feet below the drill rigs. The men were more than three miles inside the remote mine at the time of the thunderous collapse Monday. Workers clearing away mounds of rubble had progressed 650 feet into a 2,000-foot tunnel that could lead to the men. Well, things don't look so good, but until the fate of the miners is known, praying for the best certainly annot hurt.

Space Shuttle - A pair of spacewalking astronauts installed a new beam to the international space station as engineers back on Earth scrutinized images of a disturbing gouge in shuttle Endeavour's heat shield. A 3-inch gash in the shuttle's belly will be inspected in greater detail when the shuttle crew pulls out its 100-foot robotic arm and extension boom and probes the difficult-to-reach area with lasers. Mission managers suspect a chunk of ice flew off Endeavour's external fuel tank one minute after liftoff on Wednesday and struck tiles on the shuttle's underside, near the right main landing gear door. Ice is heavier than the tank's foam insulation, and even a small piece could cause major damage to the shuttle's thermal covering, which protects against the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry at flight's end. If NASA determines the gouge in the shuttle's belly — or any other damage to the heat shield — needs to be repaired, the work probably would be done in a fourth spacewalk next Friday or so. The astronauts have a repair kit on board with three types of patching material; the kit has flown on every mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster. While any damage to the space shuttle is disturbing, it is encouraging to see that we have the ability to find and correct such damage in order to avoid another Columbia disaster.

Immigration - Mexicans are increasingly giving up on the American dream and staying home, and the federal crackdown on undocumented workers announced Friday should discourage even potential migrants from taking the risks as the United States purges itself of its illegal population. U.S. and Mexican officials say increased border security, including 6,000 National Guard troops, remote surveillance technology and drone planes, have thwarted smugglers who had succeeded for years at beating the system. Migrants also say they feel Americans are increasingly hostile toward immigrants. Gee, I wonder what gives them that impression? I may be going out on a limb here, but maybe its all those deportations and threats of criminal prosecution of any employer who dares to give a job to undocumented workers. I don't mean to suggest that completely open borders is a realistic option, but its strong reactions like our current immigration policy that tend to make foreign nationals (my polite way of saying terrorists) have a less than favorable opinion of us.

Canada - Let's give a shout out to another country, besides ours for a change, flexing its military might to secure its borders. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the government will install two new military facilities in the Arctic to boost Canada's sovereign claim over the Northwest Passage and signal its long-term commitment to the North. The pressure is on Arctic nations because of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which gives them 10 years after ratification to prove their claims under the largely uncharted polar ice-pack. All but the United States have ratified the treaty. Russia, Canada and Denmark all claim they are physically connected to the Lomonosov Ridge, a 2,000-kilometre underwater mountain range that stretches to an area between northern Ellesmere Island and Greenland from Siberia. Of course there is a small difference between Canada's use of its military and ours. I'm guessing that they won't suffer 3700 (well, actually 3735and counting) casualties as a result of this operation. Well that, and the fact that they have a legitimate claim to the land that they're defending.

Cycling - The fallout from this year's tainted Tour de France continues. Citing fractious leadership in the sport, constant doping allegations and the struggles of finding a new sponsor, Lance Armstrong and the owners of his former Discovery Channel team said Friday the squad will disband after this season. Armstrong said it was the perfect time to go out on top: Discovery's Alberto Contador of Spain won the team's eighth Tour de France title in nine years last month. The decision shuts down the sport's only elite professional team based in the United States. Armstrong retired from riding in 2005 but remained a visible co-owner of the team operated by Tailwind Sports. Discovery announced in February it would not sponsor the team beyond this year. The team's general manager acknowledged difficulty securing new sponsorship with the sport under the constant pressure of doping allegations. Dude, how bad is it when the team fielding 8 of the past 9 winners of the Tour de France cannot get secure a sponsorship deal?

Baseball - Barry Bonds has upped his homerun total to 758 (3 dingers in the past 4 games). But, you know, it turns out that there are a bunch of other teams, besides the San Francisco Giants, playing the game. Let's see how the division races are going with less than 50 games left in the regular season

AL East - Boston still leads the division, but guess who's starting to got hot? That's right, boys and girls. It's those pesky New York Yankees, who are in a dead heat with Seattle for the AL Wildcard.

AL Central - Cleveland leads Detroit by a game and a half. Honestly, who cares about this division any way?

AL West - The Los Angeles Angels have a 3 and a half game lead over Seattle in what has been a rather quiet divisional race as well.

NL East - The New York Mets lead the division while Washington brings up the rear. Pretty much the same deal as last year.

NL Central - Milwaukee leads the Chicago Cubs by half a game in what has to be the "I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it" division.

NL West - Or as I like to say, the Senior Minor League division. Arizona leads this band of underachievers by 3 and a half games. What about the San Franciso Giants? Well, let's see. At least they're better than Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh...barely.

Golf - Guess who put up a record-tying 63 in the second round, followed by a respectable 69 today in the third round of the PGA Championship to take a 3 stroke lead into the final round? Tiger Woods made 15 pars in his 1-under 69, giving him a three-shot lead over Stephen Ames going into the final round. Woods is 12-0 when going into the final round of major with at least a share of the lead, and he has never lost any tournament when leading by more than one shot after 54 holes. Technically, there is no such thing as a sure thing, but seriously, would you take the field over Tiger with a 3 stroke lead? Me neither.

What Caught My Eye Today

Utah - After more than three days after the thunderous cave-in, a drilling rig on the mountain above the Crandall Canyon mine closed in on the men, trying to bore a hole a mere 2 1/2 inches wide to bring them air and lower a two-way communications device and a tiny camera to check for signs of life. The drilling rig was erected 1,869 feet above the presumed location of the men and had drilled to about 130 feet away by late afternoon. Rescue leaders said early in the day that the drill might reach the miners' location by late afternoon, but also warned that the pace would slow as the drill went deeper. A bigger drill boring a nearly 9-inch-wide hole had reached 720 feet by late afternoon. Simultaneously, rescuers struggled to clear rubble from a horizontal tunnel in an attempt to actually reach the miners and bring them out. But progress was slow at about 300 feet a day, and officials said it could take a week or more to break through to the miners. Here's keeping my fingers crossed for the safe recovery of these miners.

Minnesota - Remains pulled from the wreckage of a collapsed bridge on Thursday may include another victim along with the two earlier announced, which would bring the confirmed death toll to eight. Crews have been searching for at least eight people missing and presumed killed in the collapse, including a mother and her young daughter and another woman and her adult son. As searchers combed the river for victims, federal officials looking into the cause of the collapse issued an advisory for states to inspect the metal plates, or gussets, that hold girders together on bridges nationwide. Investigators said the gussets on the failed Minneapolis bridge were originally attached with rivets — old technology more likely to slip than the bolts used in bridges today. Some of the gussets also may have been weakened by welding work over the years, and some may have been too thin

In a related story...

Authorities in Southern California temporarily closed a highway bridge after a moderate earthquake rattled the Los Angeles area early this morning. The bridge was closed as a precaution after a routine inspection uncovered minor cracks. A preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 4.6 quake struck about 4 miles northwest of Chatsworth. The six-lane bridge in Santa Clarita was closed after a routine post-quake inspection raised some concerns. Engineers have determined that the bridge sustained only cosmetic damage. Better safe than sorry I say. One hopes that this is (or becomes) the norm so that we don't have to go through another Minnesota disaster.

Immigration - The Bush administration plans to step up immigration enforcement by raising fines on employers who hire undocumented workers, overhauling temporary worker programs and speeding up deployment of border agents. An outline of the announcement said the administration plans to expand the list of international gangs whose members are automatically denied admission to the U.S., reduce processing times for immigrant background checks and install by the end of the year an exit system so the departure of foreigners from the country can be recorded at airports and seaports. In addition, employers will face possible criminal sanctions if they don't fire employees unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers. Also, the Homeland Security Department will ask states to voluntarily share their driver's license photos and records with the agency for use in an employment verification system. The sharing is meant to help employers detect fraudulent licenses, according to the summary. So am I to understand that the government's proposal is meant to help employers? Maybe it's just me, but the wording suggests otherwise to me. Maybe its that reference to 'criminal sanctions' that confused me.

Global Warming - Scientists say they have developed a model to predict how ocean currents, as well as human activities, will affect temperatures over the next decade. The new model will help researchers to predict how natural shifts, such as the El Nino phenomenon in the eastern Pacific and the North Atlantic Oscillation, will affect the global climate system. They hope this data, when combined with projections of greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions from fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions, will present one of the most detailed outlooks to date. Researchers project that at least half of the years between 2009 and 2014 are likely to exceed existing records. They project the global average temperature in 2014 to be 0.3C warmer than 2004. I know 0.3 degrees Celius (that's just over half a degree Fahrenheit) doesn't seem like very much, but this is geological time we're talking about. Wehn you consider that it took about 10,000 years for us to come out of the last ice age, this increase in temperature is basically a meltdown.

Speaking of weather...

Hurricanes - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the 2007 season will be slightly less active than predicted, with between 13 and 16 named storms, seven to nine becoming hurricanes, and three to five of these classified as "major" hurricanes. In May, NOAA predicted 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could develop into major ones. A year ago, forecasters also predicted an active season, but the unexpected development of El Nino was widely credited with curtailing hurricanes in the Atlantic. Last season produced 10 tropical storms, of which five became hurricanes and two turned into intense hurricanes. The average hurricane season generates 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major storms. I don't want to jinx anything, but I did notice the absence of news items related to hurricanes this season. Too bad those folks in Indonesia aren't getting the same break.

What Caught My Eye Today

Space Shuttle - Space shuttle Endeavour blasted off Wednesday carrying teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who after more than two decades is finally carrying out the dream of Christa McAuliffe and the rest of the fallen Challenger crew. Morgan was McAuliffe's backup for Challenger's doomed launch in 1986 and, even after two space shuttle disasters, never swayed in her dedication to NASA and the agency's on-and-off quest to send a schoolteacher into space. She rocketed away in the center seat of the cabin's lower compartment, the same seat that had been occupied by McAuliffe. This is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment. The mission is expected to last 11-14 days. I would not go so far as saying that I'm a space junkie, but watching these space shuttle launches never ceases to amazing me.

Utah - Crews hoping to get food and air to six coal miners drilled to within about 1,000 feet of the trapped men and hoped to reach them in two days. It still wasn't known whether the miners were alive more than two days after the initial cave-in. But the progress was substantially better than the night before, when crews had to halt drilling because of unstable ground. Teams also were drilling a second larger hole that could be used to get food to the miners, 1,500 feet below the surface. Over the past 24 hours I've seen updates saying the amount of time it would take to reach the trapped miners ranging from 2 days to about a week. I hope, for the sake of everyone involved, the dude who came up with the 2 day estimate knows his stuff.

Pakistan - The government of embattled Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said it may impose a state of emergency due to "external and internal threats" and deteriorating law and order in the volatile northwest near the Afghan border. It appears the motivation for a declaration of an emergency would be the domestic political woes of Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism who took power in a 1999 coup. The Pakistani government's comments on a possible emergency declaration came hours after Musharraf abruptly announced he was canceling a planned trip to Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday to attend a U.S.-backed tribal peace council aimed at curtailing cross-border militancy by the Taliban and al-Qaida. If you read this blog somewhat regularly, you will appreciate the irony of this news item. This past Monday, I reported that Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that the Taliban was not a threat to his government. Maybe Musharraf should rethink cancelling his trip to Afghanistan. I mean, if the guys in Afghanistan have got the Taliban under control, I'm sure they would mind sharing a couple of ideas with Musharraf.

Indonesia - A powerful earthquake under the Java Sea rattled Indonesia's capital, violently shaking tall buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets. There were no immediate reports of damage, and geophysicists said there was little risk of a tsunami. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 and was centered about 65 miles east of Jakarta at a depth in the Earth of 180 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake that triggered the tsunami off the coast of Sumatra and killed more than 131,000 in Indonesia's Ache province was only 18 miles deep, according to the USGS. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. I know I've said this before, but seriously, haven't these poor slobs been through enough?

Minnesota - A week after a deadly bridge collapse, U.S. Navy divers cut through tangled debris with underwater torches and saws in the search for victims while investigators identified a possible flaw in the 40-year-old span's design. National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they had found a potential design problem with gusset plates, or steel plates that tie together angled steel beams of the bridge's frame. Investigators are trying to verify loads and stresses on these plates at specific locations as well as the materials used to construct them. Minnesota officials were quickly laying the groundwork for replacing the vital eight-lane bridge, which had been the state's busiest with 140,000 vehicles crossing it each day. Construction bids were due on Wednesday and officials hoped to choose a contractor within weeks to build a new bridge by the end of 2008, with the help of $250 million promised by the federal government. One proposal called for two spans of five traffic lanes each, with room for light rail or buses. It was unlikely a new bridge could be completed before the Republican Party convention in September 2008, to be held in neighboring St. Paul. Talk about awkward timing? Somehow, you just know that this is going to become a Presidential campaign issue before all is said and done. And for a change, I hope it does. I don't remember the source of the quote, but someone said last week, 'bridges in this country should not just collapse.' Besides global warming, the pathetic state our our country's infrastructure is the nation's worst kept secret.

Baseball - In case you hadn't heard, Barry Bonds hit career home run 756 last night. Bonds sent the 84-mph fastball arcing high into the night, 435 feet into the right-center field seats. And then, the celebration began in force -- fireworks, streamers, banners commemorating the accomplishment, and even a party in McCovey Cove. Conspicuous by their absence were the commissioner and Hammerin' Hank himself. Though he was on hand for the tying homer three days ago, deciding to put baseball history ahead of the suspicions plaguing the Giants slugger, Bud Selig wasn't there for the record-breaker. As for Aaron, he said all along he had no interest in being there whenever and wherever his record was broken. He was true to his word, but he did offer a taped message of congratulations that played on the stadium's video board during a 10-minute, in-game tribute. You have to give props to Barry for finally closing the deal, but the real man last night was Hank Aaron.