What Caught My Eye Today

California - A fast-moving wildfire pushed by Santa Ana winds raced through the canyons and mountains of this wealthy enclave for the second time in little more than a month today, destroying more than 30 homes and forcing as many as 14,000 residents to flee. The fire erupted shortly before 3:30 a.m. after the long-predicted Santa Anas finally returned, and it quickly grew to 2,200 acres, or about 3.5 square miles, before the winds died down. Fifteen helicopters and 15 airplanes, including a retardant-dropping DC-10 jumbo jet, attacked from the air while 1,700 firefighters battled flames on the ground. Hundreds of firefighters and equipment from throughout the state had been positioned in Southern California for most of the week because of the predicted winds, which had been expected to blow most of the week but didn't arrive until late yesterday. No one wants to see another fire in this scorched region, but at least the firefighters' patience paid off and they were able to contain the fire before it could cause more damage than it did.

Lebanon - Prime Minister Fuad Saniora assured his country that the military was in control of the streets while lawmakers struggled to overcome a political crisis that has left the country without a president. After months of trying, the two rival camps were unable to agree on a compromise candidate to succeed pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud who stepped down last night, leaving a political vacuum. The departure of Lahoud, a staunch ally of Syria during his nine years in office, was a long-sought goal of the government installed by parliament's anti-Syria majority. The government has been trying to put one of its own in the post and seal the end of Syrian dominance of Lebanon. Hezbollah and its opposition allies have been able to stymie the government's hopes by repeatedly boycotting parliamentary votes for a new president, as they did Friday afternoon, leaving it without the required quorum. The fight has put Lebanon into dangerous and unknown territory. Both sides are locked in bitter recriminations, accusing the other of breaking the constitution, and they are nowhere near a compromise candidate. So far, the 56,000-member military has successfully kept this tiny, fractious country together. In the past two years, the army has emerged as a neutral force, protecting and separating pro- and anti-Syrian groups and maintaining order during angry protests and funerals. I'm amazed at two items in this story. First, it's mind boggling that the government cannot elect a President. Hell, if we can do it here in the United States, anyone can. It's not like you have to win the popular vote to get elected. Secondly, with all that you hear about the dangers of having the military in charge of the government, here we have 'the little army that could' holding together a nation against tremendous odds. You have to tip your cap to these folks. Seems like they are the only thing between this country remaining a democracy and slipping into total chaos.

Australia - Conservative Prime Minister John Howard, one of the Bush administration's staunchest allies, suffered a humiliating election defeat today at the hands of an opposition leader who has vowed to pull troops out of Iraq. Labor leader Kevin Rudd, a Chinese-speaking former diplomat, has also promised to sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, leaving the U.S. as the only industrialized country not to have joined it. Howard, who reshaped his country's image abroad with unwavering support for the war in Iraq, dominated Australian politics for more than a decade but failed to read the signs that voters had grown tired of his rule. Adding to the sting of his party's decisive defeat, official results showed Howard was likely to lose his parliamentary seat altogether. Only one other sitting prime minister has lost his district in the 106-year history of Australia's federal government. Well, the recent string of Western leaders singing the praises of President Bush wasn't going to last forever. I'm curious as to which policy is going to sting the U.S. worse, the withdrawal of Austalian troops from Iraq or Australia's plan to sign onto the Kyoto Protocol. My guess is the latter, though in the giant scheme of things neither will probably bother the Bush Administration very much. Bush has never had a problem going it alone. Frankly, I think he finds it easier that way.

Space Station - A pair of spacewalking astronauts wired the international space station's newest room today, crossing the last major task off their to-do list before the next shuttle mission early next month. The astronauts hooked up more electrical and fluid connections linking the space station and the Harmony compartment that was delivered by the shuttle Discovery last month. Harmony will serve as a docking port for a new European laboratory named Columbus. The shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to deliver the lab in two weeks. A Japanese lab set to be delivered early next year also will dock to the school bus-sized module. I sure hope the paint dries before the contractors arrive with the next compartment. Again, this is probably the space geek in me, but don't you think this construction job is a marvel to witness?

Air Travel - I preface this next item by saying wouldn't it be nice if all of us poor slobs who routinely get stuffed into steerage had this problem. Shortly after 9/11, the White House decided that the president needed a new helicopter. the current Marine One fleet was more than 30 years old and needed upgrades to its in-flight protection and communications gear. The project to replace the fleet began in January, 2005, but 3 years later, major tinkering has left the new Lockheed Martin VH-71 aircraft 2,000 pounds overweight. The Navy's goal was to blying a flying Oval Office with communications rivaling those in Air Force One. The Navy also demanded state-of-the-art missile defenses and protection against a nuclear blast, along with a 14-person cabin and an executive bathroom (these are just a sampling of the more than 800 design changes demanded by the Navy). Cramming all the new features into a craft that's about 65 feet long has proved challenging. No kidding. So like is it just me, or would any sane person take their chances surviving a nuclear bomb explosion in an airborne helicopter? I'm all for throwing some extra bling into Marine One--after all being the leader of the free world should have some perks--but how about throwing a little dose of reality into the equation?

Tennis - Pete Sampras fired off his trademark powerful serve in a shock upset of world number one Roger Federer in Macau on Saturday to post his first win in their three-game Asian exhibition series. The former US world champion came back strongly after defeats in Seoul and Kuala Lumpur, forcing the first break of the match in the ninth game of the second set and serving out for victory to win 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 in 70 minutes. Their clash in the packed arena at Macau's Venetian resort was their third match in just five days, following the meetings in Seoul and Malaysia. Federer won the first match in Seoul on Tuesday 6-4, 6-3 in 61 minutes. The second clash, in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, was a closer affair over 90 minutes, with Federer emerging victorious after winning both sets on tie-breaks. The 26-year-old Federer praised his opponents serve, saying he still could compete at the top five level in the world. Based on these results, who would want to argue with that? Though, I'd still like to see how Sampras holds up over a grueling two week Grand Slam event before I am completely sold on his comeback. Still, anyone who manages to beat Federer clearly has some game.