What Caught My Eye Today

February 29 - At the risk of stating what hopefully is obvious to everyone, happy Leap Day. Should you have an inclination to learn more fascinating facts about this oddity of nature, click here. And let's face it, if you have time in your day to read this blog, clearly you have some time to kill.

Afghanistan - The Taliban have built a huge and profitable drug operation in Afghanistan while provincial governors look the other way, the latest grim sign of backsliding in a country the U.S. has spent six years and billions of dollars trying to salvage. As I've said time and time again, it's always nice to see those tax dollars hard at work. Afghanistan now produces 93% of the world's opium poppy. I wonder who provides the other 7%--Colombia, maybe? The problems have worsened rather than diminished under the watch of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and the relatively small number of American forces stationed in the nation while larger numbers are deployed to Iraq. A top U.S. intelligence official told Congress that President Hamid Karzai's government controls only 30% of the country. The resurgent Taliban control some 10 or 11%, while local tribes control the rest. That sounds bad. That's despite the $140 billion Congress has appropriated for Afghanistan since the September 11 attacks that were the original reason given for U.S. involvement. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is still at large, thought to have fled through Afghanistan's tribal lands to a hideout across the Pakistan border. All that may be true, but at least we're kicking some ass in Iraq, right? The U.S. money has gone for military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs and veterans' health care. So what does $140 billion buy these days? Military operations? The Taliban is regaining its power and Osama is still on the loose. That's one for the other guys. Base security? I'm not sure about this one, let's give our guys the benefit of the doubt on this one. Reconstruction? Yeah, right. Score another one for the other guys. Foreign aid? Well, opium production is on the rise. One more for the the other guys. Embassy costs? If I'm not mistaken, we haven't been bombed...yet. Score one for us. Veterans' health care? Two words--Walter Reid. Dude, we got hosed on this deal.

Turkey - Turkey's military said it has ended a ground offensive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq, but said that foreign influence did not play a role in its decision. Turkey launched the incursion into northern Iraq more than a week ago against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a group fighting for the autonomy of predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey. The rebels have carried out attacks in Turkey from bases in Kurdish Iraq. Spokespersons for both the Iraqi government and the PKK speculated that American pressure had forced Turkey to pull out. I suppose there is some truth to that. Despite our best efforts to do otherwise, the U.S. still manages to have some influence in this part of the world. I think the more likely explanation is that the Turkish military accomplished its objectives and having done so, withdrew from Iraq.

The Penny - Asked whether he thought the penny should be eliminated, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson agreed that it would make sense. However, he quickly added that he didn't think it was "politically doable" to eliminate the one-cent coin and it wasn't something he planned to tackle in the final year of the Bush administration. Admittedly, I'm politically naive, but what is it about the penny that causes it to be 'politically undoable." Seriously, it isn't like we're talking about Social Security or health care reform. It's the flippin' penny, for heaven's sake.

Lingerie - Here's a head scratcher for you. According to its top executive, Victoria's Secret, the lingerie company that introduced the Very Sexy bra, the Fantasy Bra, and the Internet server-crashing fashion show, has become "too sexy" for its own good. I told you so. "We've so much gotten off our heritage ... too sexy, and we use the word sexy a lot and really have forgotten the ultra feminine." Okay, so maybe this is because I'm a guy but I fail to see the problem here. I'm okay with the missus dressing up in some smokin' hot undies. Victoria's Secret has gotten younger with a strong focus on its successful Pink line of lingerie and loungewear created for college-age women, and has tried to chase those customers. Sales at Victoria's Secret, like many clothing retailers, have been slipping. As a result, Victoria's Secret wants to increase its level of sophistication. Again, perhaps my perspective is influenced by that Y chromosome, but I'm thinking Vic is pretty sophisticated already. It's not like that lingerie is the simplest stuff in the world to figure out how to remove. All that frilly stuff, the clasps, the straps...I'm telling you, those undies are tough to figure out.

American Idol - The voting public cut loose Alaina Whitaker, Jason Yeager, Robbie Carrico and Alexandrea Lushington, trimming the number of contestants to 16 last night. For the record, I predicted 3 out of the 4 casualties. I had wanna-be rocker, Amanda Obermeyer hitting the bricks over Miss Whitaker. A standout this week was 17-year-old David Archuleta, who sang a soulful cover of "Imagine." I don't get what all the hoopla is about this guy, I really don't. Brooke White, 24, also scored a glowing review from Cowell for her bare-bones performance of "You're So Vain." Cowell joked he thought the song was about him. Cowell would think that, wouldn't he?

What Caught My Eye Today

Economy - President Bush said the country is not recession-bound and, despite expressing concern about slowing economic growth, rejected for now any additional stimulus efforts. Well, I have to agree with the President on this point. Why would you keep performing CPR on a patient that is already stone cold dead? Bush's view of the economy was decidedly rosier than that of many economists, who say the country is nearing recession territory or may already be there. No kidding. In fairness to Bush, who actually expected him to acknowledge that we may be in a recession--especially in an election year? Dude may not be the smartest tool in the shed, but he's not completely deranged. On one issue particularly worrisome to American consumers, there are indications that paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline is not out of the question once the summer driving season arrives. Asked about that, Bush said "That's interesting. I hadn't heard that. ... I know it's high now." Bush also expressed optimism about the U.S. dollar, which has been declining in value. "I believe that our economy has got the fundamentals in place for us to ... grow and continue growing, more robustly hopefully than we're growing now," he said. "So we're still for a strong dollar." Okay, my bad. Maybe he is completely deranged.

2008 Presidential Race - Rebounding from weak fundraising in January, Hillary Clinton is expected to raise $35 million in February. The $35 million would be Clinton's biggest fundraising mark yet and represents a remarkable recovery for her campaign. Barack Obama's campaign reacted promptly, promising an even higher number, but divulging no totals. Yeah, there's no pissing contest going on between these two. Despite her increased fundraising, Obama is still outspending her in the crucial March 4 primary states of Ohio and Texas. As of Tuesday, Obama had spent a total of $7.5 million in advertising in the two states. Clinton had spent $4.6 million. Obama also was getting help from labor unions. The Service Employees International Union began spending $1.4 million in ads in support of Obama in Ohio and Texas. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union was spending nearly $200,000 in ads in Ohio. So let's ponder this one shall we? Let's say I contribute to Clinton's campaign and she ends up not getting the Democratic nomination. Can I apply for a refund?

Abkhazia - That's right, kids. Another geography quiz. Abkhazia is a small region in the Caucuses bordering the east coast of the Black Sea...so now you know.Georgia's breakaway republic Abkhazia will seek recognition for its de facto independence from Russia and the European Union. Last week leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian breakaway republics, said that Kosovo's independence, recognized by the U.S., Australia, Japan and major European countries, should be taken into account as far as their sovereignty is concerned. Russia has repeatedly said the recognition of the Balkan region's independence will set a precedent for other breakaway regions, including in the former Soviet Union. The Russian parliament said in a statement last week that Kosovo's independence gives Russia the right to forge new relationships with self-proclaimed states. It's kind of hard to argue with their logic, don't you think. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure someone will point out the 'flaws' in Russia's logic. I'm just not sure how they'll manage to do so.

Turkey - Since we're on the subject of flawed logic... Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he told Turkish leaders Thursday that they should end an offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq as soon as possible. President Bush made a similar point. "It should not be long-lasting," Bush said at a White House news conference. "The Turks need to move, move quickly, achieve their objective and get out." Surely, you can appreciate the irony here. The cross-border fighting has put the United States in a delicate position. For one, it is close allies with Iraq and Turkey, Secondly, a prolonged Turkish offensive could jeopardize security in Iraq just as the U.S. is seeking to consolidate recent security gains. Call me crazy, but if there had been security gains in this part of Iraq, I'm guessing Turkey would not have felt compelled to conduct this incursion into Iraq. Be that as it may, here's my favorite part... Gates said he pressed the Turks on three key points, saying they need to: continue and deepen their dialogue with the Iraqi government, which has strongly objected to the incursion, be more open about the specifics of their operation, including the number of troops involved, and recognize that military means alone will not solve the problem. Hmm. Fascinating notions, Mr. Secretary. Just out of curiosity, have you consider drinking some of that Kool-Aid, yourself?

British Royals - The Ministry of Defense announced that Prince Harry has been serving on the front line in Afghanistan with the British Army, calling in air strikes on Taliban positions and going out on foot patrols. You go, Rambo! Officials said the prince, a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals regiment, was still deployed in the country. Harry, who is third in line to the throne, has been in Afghanistan since December. The news blackout was intended to reduce the risk to the prince and his regiment. The news embargo was broken, however, after reports of the prince's deployment were leaked by an Australian magazine and a German newspaper, and then reported on a U.S. Web site, the Drudge Report. My problem with this is that I'm betting this 'leak' was all about selling more magazines and newspapers, rather than reporting on news that really matters. I cannot think of any other reason why these publications would purposely risk greater endangerment to Prince Harry than he is already facing. I have to say rather poor judgment--if any--was employed by these unscrupulous organizations.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama clashed over trade, health care and the war in Iraq last night in a final debate before a pivotal group of primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. The tone was polite yet pointed, increasingly so as the 90-minute session wore on, a reflection of the stakes in a race in which Obama has won 11 straight primaries and caucuses and Clinton is in desperate need of a comeback. Here is my favorite sound bite of the evening. In one curious moment, Clinton said, "In the last several debates I seem to get the first question all the time. I don't mind. I'll be happy to field it. I just find it curious if anybody saw "Saturday Night Live," maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow." In its episode last Saturday, the comedy show ran a feature portraying the news media as going easy on Obama, and a questioner asking at one point if he was comfortable and needed another pillow. Those dudes at SNL must be revelling in all the free publicity they got from this sketch. I actually saw it on Saturday, and have to say it was rather amusing and certainly brought into stark contrast the media's perception of both candidates. Incidentally, most analysts believe that the debate was basically a draw, which for Clinton probably equates to a loss seeing as she's trailing Obama in several polls leading up to next week's primaries.

Russia - Russia toughened its stance towards Iran on Wednesday, threatening to back further United Nations sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program unless it halted uranium enrichment in the next few days. You heard me. The Russians are planning to side WITH the United Nations against Iran. I wonder if the Iranians missed a payment on all the nuclear stuff that Russia is either building or providing to Iran. The United Nations Security Council has demanded Iran halt uranium enrichment, the part of its nuclear program that most worries the West because the process can potentially be used to make material for bombs. Iran has refused to halt the work. It says it is seeking to master nuclear technology so it can make fuel for a planned network of nuclear power plants and save its huge oil and gas reserves for export. Russia, which has strong ties to Iran's energy industry, has previously been reluctant to impose more U.N. sanctions on Iran. Though it agreed on the outline of the sanctions resolution last month in Berlin, some Western diplomats had expressed concern Russia might try to weaken the resolution out of pique over the West's recognition of Kosovo. Now, now. Would the Russians really resort to something that petty? Don't answer that. It's just a rhetorical question.

Kosovo - Serbs in Kosovo called for the return of Russian peacekeepers to the country after the ethnic Albanian majority's declaration of independence from Serbia this month. Russian peacekeepers? Sounds kind of like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Right up there with 'military intelligence.' Russia withdrew its troops from the NATO-led Kosovo Force, KFOR, in mid-2003, four years after being deployed with 45,000 others after an 11-week NATO air war to save Kosovo Albanians from ethnic cleansing by Serbian forces fighting guerrillas. Kosovo's 120,000 remaining Serbs, almost half of whom live in a thin slice of land in the north adjacent to Serbia, have rejected the February 17 secession, which was backed by the West but condemned by Serbia and Russia. So this is interesting. Let's say that the Russian's honor the request. Sure the West will raise holy hell, but will that make much of a difference? Russia could claim that it is merely reassuming the role it had in 2003, a move warranted by the recent violence in Kosovo. How will the West respond to that?

Turkey - Turkey said it had "no timetable" to withdraw troops fighting Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq, resisting pressure from the United States and other allies to end the offensive quickly. Gee, where have we heard that before? Thousands of Turkish troops crossed the border last week to root out PKK fighters. The PKK has used remote mountainous northern Iraq as a base in their armed campaign for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. The United States and the European Union have expressed concern. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Turkey must limit its operations to days rather than months. Look whose talking. Hello, kettle...It's the pot calling...you're black.

China - These poor slobs cannot cut a break. It's not bad enough that several national teams are concerned about food quality and air pollution for their athletes, but now they have to be wondering if there will be any running water. When 16,000 athletes and officials show up this summer for the Olympics, they will be able to turn the taps and get drinkable water — something few Beijing residents ever have enjoyed. But to keep those taps flowing for the Olympics, the city is draining surrounding regions, depriving poor farmers of water. Never let it be said that the Chinese government doesn't have its priorities straight. You may disagree with what those priorities are, but that's a different discussion altogether. Though the Chinese capital's filthy air makes headlines, water may be its most desperate environmental challenge. Explosive growth combined with a persistent drought mean the city of 17 million people is fast running out of water. Sitting on the northeast edge of the arid north China plain, near no major river and 90 miles from the sea, Beijing has had water problems for more than a millennium. In an attempt to ease the water woes, workers are digging up the countryside south of Beijing for a canal that will bring water from China's longest river, the Yangtze, and its tributaries to the arid north by 2010. The first part of the project is being accelerated to meet anticipated demand from Olympic visitors. By April, the canal is to begin bringing 80 billion gallons a year — an amount equal to the annual water use of Tucson, Arizona. This so totally should be on an upcoming episode of 'Extreme Engineering' on the Discovery Channel.

Australia - If you have a queasy stomach, you may want to skip this story. Two horrified children watched as a 16-foot scrub python devoured their silky terrier-Chihuahua crossbreed at their home near Kuranda in Queensland state. In fairness to the snake, Chihuahuas are rather small and could easily be mistaken for rats. Scrub pythons typically eat wild animals such as wallabies, a smaller relative of the kangaroo, but sometimes turn to pets in urban areas. Keep reading. This gets more grotesque. Snake experts say that pythons squeeze their prey to death before swallowing it whole. The dog would have been suffocated within minutes. Removing the half-swallowed dog could have harmed or even killed the python because dogs have sharp teeth and claws that could do the snake internal damage if it were wrenched out. The snake was still digesting the dog at the zoo a day later. It will soon be relocated to the bush. Oh sure, why not turn this thing loose again. What are the chances that this sort of thing will happen again?

What Caught My Eye Today

Economy -I'll give you fair warning on this. If you are on anti-depressants or located in a high-rise building with access to the roof, you may want to consider skipping over this story altogether. No good news today on the economic front. Consumer confidence plunged, the wholesale inflation rate soared, the number of homes being foreclosed jumped, home prices fell sharply and a report predicts big increases in health care costs. Seriously, folks it doesn't get any better if you read any further. The New York-based Conference Board said that its Consumer Confidence Index plunged in February to 75.0 from a revised 87.3 in January. Inflation at the wholesale level soared in January, pushed higher by rising costs for food, energy and medicine. The monthly increase carried the annual inflation rate to its fastest jump in a quarter century. The number of homes facing foreclosure jumped 57 percent in January compared to a year ago, with lenders increasingly forced to take possession of homes they couldn't unload at auctions. The worsening situation came despite ongoing efforts by lenders to help borrowers manage their payments by modifying loan terms, working out long-term repayment plans and other actions. Standard and Poor's reported U.S. home prices lost 8.9% in the final quarter of 2007 marking a full year of declining values and the steepest drop in the 20-year history of its housing index. Okay, last one. The federal government predicts that by 2017, total health care spending will double to more than $4 trillion a year, accounting for one of every $5 the nation spends. But here's the good news. Those $600 tax rebate checks--you know from the economic stimulus package that Congress and the President agree upon--should be in the mail any day now.

Email - Microsoft free Web-based e-mail service and other sites have been unavailable for hours to Internet users around the world. Web surfers were unable to log on to Hotmail, along with other services that require a Microsoft login, such as the Xbox Live video game community site and the Windows Live Messenger instant messaging program. Microsoft confirmed the problem was international in scope, but did not say how many people were affected or when a resolution was expected. I bet those jerks in Pakistan had something to do with this. Speaking of which...

Pakistan - Pakistan's telecommunications regulator said it has lifted restrictions on YouTube that knocked out access to the video-sharing Web site in many countries for up to two hours over the weekend. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told Internet service providers to restore access to the site after the removal of what it called a "blasphemous" video clip. Government officials said the Pakistani regulator carried no responsibility for "technical hitches" which may have lead to problems elsewhere. And how do you figure that? Weren't you the dudes that pulled the plug in the first place? Pakistani officials hope to prevent a repeat of violent anti-Western protests that erupted in early 2006 after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad regarded by many Muslims as offensive. I don't mean to go off the reservation, but maybe a better approach than say--burying your heads in the sand every time something offensive is brought up--perhaps you could focus a bit more effort on religious tolerance.

Venezuela - Ah yes, here is another pearl of wisdom from that pillar of rational thought, President Hugo Chavez. President Hugo Chavez's government is taking its battle against U.S. "imperialism" into Venezuelans' dictionaries, urging state phone company workers to avoid English-language business and tech terms. The Communications and Information Ministry said that Venezuelans must recover Spanish words that are "threatened by sectors that have started a battle for the cultural domination of our nations." The leftist president has sought to counter what he calls U.S. cultural imperialism on all fronts, financing Venezuelan cinema as an alternative to the "dictatorship of Hollywood" and forcing radio stations to play more Venezuelan music. Of course this is America's fault. I'm sure we have nothing better to do that sit in a room all day long dreaming up words that cannot be translated. Here's a thought, Hugo. If you don't like the words we come up with, make up your own. You seem perfectly capable of creating your own parallel universe, so coming up with some new 'palabras' on occasion, should be no big deal.

Norway - Norway opened a frozen "doomsday" vault deep within an Arctic mountain where millions of seeds will be stored to safeguard against wars or natural disasters wiping out food crops around the globe. Svalbard Global Seed Vault, just 620 miles from the North Pole, is designed to house as many as 4.5 million crop seeds from all over the world. It is built to withstand global warming, earthquakes and even nuclear strikes. I understand the bit about earthquakes and nuclear strikes, but global warming? The vault, built by the Norwegian government for $9.1 million, will operate like a bank box. Norway owns the bank, but the countries depositing seeds own them and can used them as needed free of charge. Something must be amiss here. No one does anything these days for purely altruistic reasons. I'm thinking those crafty Norwegians have something up their sleeves.The vault will serve as a backup to the other 1,400 seed banks around the world, in case their deposits are lost. War wiped out seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan, and another bank in the Philippines was flooded in the wake of a typhoon in 2006. There are 1400 of these things? My goodness.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - The Pentagon is projecting that when the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq ends in July there will be about 8,000 more troops on the ground than when it began in January 2007. the troop total is likely to be 140,000. That compares with 132,000 when President Bush approved orders to send an additional five Army brigades to Iraq to improve security and avert civil war. The Pentagon believes U.S. force levels in Afghanistan will stand at 32,000 in late summer, up from about 28,000 currently. The current total is the highest since the war began in October 2001, and another 3,200 Marines are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan this spring. Two comments on this. First--though it comes as little surprise to anyone who has been paying attention--it appears as though hopes for a troop draw down are pretty much shot to hell. Secondly, I guess President Bush doesn't care much about how the ongoing troop commitment will impact the upcoming presidential election. And maybe he shouldn't. I disagree with the dude's policies, but I'd be more irritated, if he based his policy making on whatever the latest polls suggested.

Pakistan - Alright, so now these guys have really stepped over the line. No, I'm not talking about harboring terrorism or questionable tactics employed by Pervez Musharraf to stay in power. No, this is much more serious. Most of the world's Internet users lost access to YouTube for several hours after an attempt by Pakistan's government to block access domestically affected other countries. Holy God! On Friday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority ordered 70 Internet service providers to block access to YouTube.com, because of anti-Islamic movies on the video-sharing site. The block was intended to cover only Pakistan, but extended to about two-thirds of the global Internet population. I'm willing to overlook a lot when it comes to Pakistan, especially when it comes to Islamic stuff, but if you are going to go and mess up my Internet, well then, the gloves are going to come off, my friends.

South Africa - South Africa said that it will start killing elephants to reduce their burgeoning numbers, ending a 13-year ban and possibly setting a precedent for other African nations. That's not cool. The announcement follows months of impassioned debate, with some conservationists arguing for elephant killings to protect the ecosystem, and animal welfare groups outraged at the prospect of slaughtering one of the planet's most intelligent and self-aware creatures. South Africa has been hugely successful in protecting its elephant population, once on the verge of extinction in parts of the country. But it has become a victim of its own success. The number of elephants, which have no natural predators other than humans, is growing at a rate of more than 5% a year and is expected to double by 2020. And why is this a bad thing? Elephants can turn woodlands to grass and stubs in a matter of years. They need to roam widely to get their daily diet of about 660 pounds of grass, leaves and twigs and up to 52 gallons of water. And they increasingly clash with people. So there's the real reason. Those darned elephants are getting in the way of human development. Let's go on ahead and push these bothersome creatures back to the brink of extinction...again. After all, the world would be much better off with another strip mall than having these oafs trolling around doing nothing.

Academy Awards - Turns out the Oscars were handed out last night. Who knew. The Oscars are a ratings dud. Nielsen Media Research says preliminary ratings for the 80th annual Academy Awards telecast are 14% lower than the least-watched ceremony ever and 21% lower than last year's awards telecast. Nice to know I'm not the only one who missed out on the festivities. three-hour-and-20-minute affair had an underwhelming feel that left the clear impression it was put together on the fly. Jon Stewart, back for a second turn as host, was vastly improved from his 2006 appearance. He proved equal to the challenge posed by Oscarcast's quick turnaround. His crash-deadline material worked. And even when it didn't, he was genial, relaxed, and seemed utterly at home. The crime saga "No Country for Old Men" won a leading four Academy Awards, including best picture. All four acting prizes went to Europeans: Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard, the best-actress winner for "La Vie En Rose"; Spaniard Javier Bardem, who took supporting actor for "No Country"; and Brits Daniel Day-Lewis and Tilda Swinton, he claiming his second best-actor honor for "There Will Be Blood," she winning supporting actress for "Michael Clayton." I cannot offer much in terms of commentary. I didn't see any of these flicks. Maybe that accounts for my lack of interest in the Oscars this year.

Golf - Stewart Cink barely put up a fight against Tiger Woods in the Accenture Match Play Championship, where Woods broke a scoring record for the fourth straight tournament and collected his fifth straight victory worldwide. Woods made 14 birdies in 29 holes to overwhelm Cink for an 8-and-7 victory, the largest margin in the final match in the 10-year history of the event. His 63rd career victory moved him past Arnold Palmer and into fourth place alone on the PGA Tour's career list. His next victory will tie him with Ben Hogan. This next bit is that part that will probably scare the piss out of the rest of the Tour. Tiger didn't so much as crack a smile when someone asked him if a perfect season was within reach. "That's my intent," he said. "That's why you play. If you don't believe you can win an event, don't show up." Dude, this guy is wicked.

Baseball - The Tampa Bay Rays have had internal discussions about the prospect of pursuing Barry Bonds. team officials have conferred among themselves about Bonds and other veteran unsigned free agents, such as Kenny Lofton and Mike Piazza. Bonds, who broke Henry Aaron's career home run record last summer, has pleaded not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from testimony to a federal grand jury in 2003 in which he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. I guess there's nothing wrong with talking about prospects. I'm just wondering what Tampa Bay hopes to accomplish. From Bonds' perspective, I have to believe this would be a positive development. The Rays are an American League team, which means he could be a DH and inch closer to that 3,000 hit career milestone before he hangs up his cleats for good.

Cycling - American Astana rider Levi Leipheimer won the Tour of California cycle race for the second straight year. Fellow American George Hincapie won the seventh and final stage, a 150km run from Santa Clarita to Pasedena. Tour of California would like to become a Grand Tour, a three-week mega-event on par with the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana. And it appears that there is an opportunity that could be seized upon. The Vuelta is not doing too well. Once an early season event, it was forced to the near-end of the season in September 1995 to allow more time for riders to prepare for the Tour de France. Tour of California might be looking for a spot on the calendar that might be a bit warmer, drier and influenza-resistant than February, like September. One problem the Tour of California does have is the lack of a signature mountain-top finish, such as L'Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France. Organizers have been scouting locations and think this problem can be resolved soon. In addition if the Tour of California expanded, new stages could include a start or finish in San Diego, making the race more of a statewide phenomenon. Hey, as far as I'm concerned anything that would contribute to more professional cycling in California, where I could watch the action live, I'm all in. On a related note, I've added a portlet to the blog, "Let Levi Ride," for interested readers to offer up some support for Levi Leipheimer's effort to get his team reinstated to participate in this year's Tour de France.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the U.S. and its allies to "apologize" for accusing Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a day after the U.N. nuclear watchdog released its latest report on Iran. Oh yeah, that'll happen. The 11-page International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said Iran "has not suspended its enrichment-related activities." Instead, said the report, Iran "started the development of new-generation centrifuges" — an expansion of enrichment — and continued working on heavy water nuclear facilities. When finished, Iran could cull them for plutonium, a possible fissile payload in nuclear warheads. Ahmadinejad said that the new information forwarded to the IAEA had been faked, claiming "our schoolchildren can make forgeries better than what they do." I'm not so sure that is the best defensive posture for Ahmadinejad to take. If Iranians are so good at making forgeries--as he has suggested--how can the international community be sure that the records that Iran has provided to vindicate itself of allegations of covertly trying to build a nuclear weapons program aren't forgeries? Riddle me that, Mahmoud.

Vatican - The Vatican issued new rules making it harder to be declared a saint. The new guidelines make clear that candidates for beatification should have a 'true reputation of holiness' before being nominated. I would have thought that the old guidelines would have said the same thing. The Vatican is currently considering more than 2,200 candidates, some of whom have had files open for decades or even centuries. Pope Benedicts XVI's predecessor, John Paul II, canonized more saints than did all previous poples combined. Over his 27 years as pontiff, he beatified 1,338 people and canonized 482. I know they would never publicly criticize a pope, especially one as popular as John Paul II, but do you get the feeling that Benedict XVI is doing his darnedest to undo some of the more progressive movement that John Paul created during his tenure?

Retail - Before you decide to blow this story off, read on just a bit further... A growing 'sexual health' sales drive is bringing risque products--lubricants, massage oils, vibrators--into chain retailers. See, what did I tell you. Since 2003, big chains like Wal-Mart, CVS and Rite Aid have more than quadrupled their shelf space for the sex-product category. Not surprisingly, the retailers themselves aren't too eager to discuss the products. Honestly. Why don't you sanctimonious sticks in the mud admit what the general population has known for years. Sex sells. If this comes as any big surprise, maybe you all shouldn't be in the retailing industry.

Potpourri - Here's a collection of items that are rather interesting for those awkward social moments at the dinner table when you run out of intelligent things to say or if you want to come off just a little smarter than that pompous ass you made the mistake of inviting to join you for dinner.

• The federal government spends $952 billion a year on Social Security, Medicare, and other benefits for the elderly which comes out to $27,289 per senior citizen. About 35% of the federal budget is now spent on seniors. That may seem like alot, but considering that the other 65% is probably blown on pork-barrel projects and the war on terrorism, that's not as bad as you might think.
• The city of Newark, New Jersey which averages 2 killings a week, last week marked its 33rd consecutive day without a homicide. The last time the city went this long without a murder was a 40-day stretch back in 1963. Let's give it up for the peeps in Jersey. Way to go.
• Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have access to a gun, which is part of the survival kit stored aboard the Russian space capsule attached to the station. One would assume that the gun is there on the chance that we run into E.T. and he turns out not to be as friendly as we had hoped.

Golf - Tiger Woods holed another crucial putt on the 17th hole today, this one sending him into the 36-hole final of the Accenture Match Play Championship for the fourth time in nine tries. Woods never trailed in a tight match with defending champion Henrik Stenson. After hitting a tough bunker shot to 12 feet, Woods holed the birdie putt for a 1-up lead, and wound up with a 2-up victory when Stenson took four shots to reach the final green. Woods will face Stewart Cink in the final. Cink’s last victory was the NEC Invitational at Firestone in 2004. Since that time, he is 0-for-85 on the PGA Tour, while Woods has won 22 times in 56 starts. So suffice it to say that the advantage would go to Woods. Shocking.

What Caught My Eye Today

Kosovo - I guess the riots in Serbia weren't enough for the Serbs to get their point across about Kosovo's recent declaration of independence. Violent protests rocked Serb-dominated northern Kosovo as mobs hurled stones, bottles and firecrackers at U.N. police guarding a bridge that divides Serbs from ethnic Albanians. There were disturbing signs the riots in Belgrade, Serbia, and in Kosovo have the blessing of nationalists in the Serbian government. The government hopes somehow to undo the loss of the province. Serbian authorities have repeatedly vowed to reclaim the land, despite U.S. and other Western recognition of Kosovo's statehood. Some hard-line government ministers have praised the violent protests as "legitimate" — and in line with government policies of retaining control over Serb-populated areas. And if you think that's ominous, wait until you read this next bit. There were fears that Serbian soccer hooligans, the same ones who attacked the U.S. and other embassies in Belgrade, were among those on the buses. Some of the hooligans apparently managed to evade the blockade, leading the clashes at the bridge. Okay, so riots and burning embassies are one thing, but when you start talking about soccer hooligans, then you really have an international crisis. Those dudes are serious trouble makers.

2008 Presidential Race - John McCain may be the GOP front runner, but man, is he having a tough week. John McCain said that while lobbyists serve as close advisers to his presidential campaign, they are honorable and he is not influenced by corruption in the system. No problem so far. Sounds like a decent standard to me. The issue of lobbying and influence has arisen in published reports, first in The New York Times and then in The Washington Post, suggesting that McCain had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist and advanced the interests of her clients. Yeah, but surely those are both smear campaigns...of course the Washington Post is rather conservative. But, still. McCain is still on the up-and-up. Then there was this... Federal authorities announced corruption charges accusing Rep. Rick Renzi of engineering a swap of federally owned mining land to benefit himself and a former business partner and stealing from his insurance company's clients. The indictment's 35 counts include charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, insurance fraud and extortion. Renzi is one of 24 co-chairmen for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in Arizona. McCain seemed surprised when asked about the indictment today. Bro', here's some free advise. When you are running for the most powerful job in the free world, there is a remote possibility that you might be subjected to some scrutiny. Maybe you should pay more attention to who you pick for advisors.

On the other end of the spectrum, Democrat Barack Obama is having a rather good week. His string of 11 straight primary wins are one thing, but after last night's debate with Hillary Clinton, he has more good news to revel in. The Democratic superdelegates are starting to follow the voters straight to Barack Obama. In just the past two weeks, more than two dozen of them have climbed aboard his presidential campaign. Clinton still leads among superdelegates — 241 to 181, according to an Associated Press survey. But her total is down two in the past two weeks, while Obama's is up 25. There are nearly 800 Democratic superdelegates, making them an important force in a nomination race as close as this one. Obama has piled up the most victories in primaries and caucuses, giving him the overall lead in delegates, 1,362 to 1,266.5. Clinton's half delegate came from the global primary sponsored by the Democrats Abroad. Loyal readers of this blog would know this already do to the diligent reporting of yours truly. It will take 2,025 delegates to secure the nomination at this summer's national convention in Denver. If Clinton and Obama continue to split delegates in elections, neither will reach the mark without support from the superdelegates. Okay, I have a theory about all this delegate/superdelegate nonsense that the Democratic party has come up with. Party leaders are obviously afraid that if they do nothing, they may inadvertently win this election.

Golf - Guess who's playing again this week, and leading the field? Tiger Woods was firing at every flag he could, making birdie on every other hole, and still feeling enormous pressure from Aaron Baddeley, who held his own in the Accenture Match Play Championship and twice had putts that would have sent Woods home. Woods made his 12th birdie on the 20th hole of an electrifying match at Dove Mountain, a 13-foot putt that was so true Woods began removing his cap when the ball was a foot from going into the center of the cup. It wasn't the first time Woods has made so many birdies, but those matches usually end quickly. This one stretched 20 holes, his longest match in nine years of this tournament. Next up for Woods is K.J. Choi, a 1-up winner over Paul Casey of England. So does anyone want to bet against Woods to win the whole thing...again?

Cycling - Defending champion Levi Leipheimer dominated the individual time trial Friday to increase his overall lead in the Tour of California. Leipheimer completed the windy 15-mile route in 30 minutes, 47 seconds at an average speed of 29.202 mph. David Millar of Slipstream, Britain’s national time trial and road champion, was second in 31:16, and teammate Christian Vande Velde finished third in 31:32. Millar, who began the day in fourth place 20 seconds behind Leipheimer, moved into second place overall, 49 seconds behind. Vande Velde was third overall, 1:08 back with two stages left in the 650-mile race. The event, which began last Sunday in Palo Alto, Calif., with 132 riders, is down to 102. Maybe you heard about that little flu epidemic. Apparently, this year's flu vaccine doesn't have this year's flu strain. That's got to suck for these guys. Two riders finished outside the time limit Friday and another was not present at the start of the stage. Although Leipheimer improved his lead, the remaining two stages both have several climbs, with the final stage including the race’s highest elevation at nearly 5,000 feet. The seven-stage event continues Saturday with the 109-mile Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita road race. It concludes Sunday with a 93-mile road race from Santa Clarita to Pasadena.

American Idol - That's right friends, the auditions and Hollywood week are over, and it is game on. Carly Smithson progressed on "American Idol" Thursday amid controversy over her professional past. Smithson, 24, has made headlines for having a pre-"Idol" career: The Irish crooner recorded a debut album, 2001's "Ultimate High," for MCA Records. It flopped — after the label spent more than $2 million trying to sell it. Besides Smithson, several of this year's semifinalists are not exactly rookies in the world of music. Kristy Lee Cook once had a deal with Arista Nashville, and rocker Robbie Carrico was part of the pop group Boyz N Girlz United. Just the sort of thing a 'rocker' wants on his resume. 'Boyz N Girlz United'? Dude, you'll never be a 'rocker' with that ghost in your closet. Garrett Haley, Amy Davis, Joanne Borgella and Colton Berry were eliminated by viewers getting their first chance to vote in the top-rated talent contest's seventh season. Okay, now for my biased opinion. Good call on the dudes. They both pretty much blew chow. But I have to say that the bottom two broads were two of the strongest performers in what I would call a mediocre women's pool. Borgella didn't exactly bring down the house, but there were plenty of performances that sucked more than hers did.

What Caught My Eye Today

Serbia - Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy and set fire to an office and police clashed with protesters outside after a large demonstration against Kosovo's declaration of independence. I guess you could have predicted that this was coming. It took police about 45 minutes to appear at the scene, and firefighters arrived about the same time and put out the blaze. Police secured the U.S. Embassy and surrounding area, blocking off all access. 45 minutes? Is it just me or does that seem like rather a long response time? Serbia's President Boris Tadic, on an official visit to Romania, appealed for calm and urged the protesters to stop the attacks and move away from the streets. Tadic said that violence was "damaging" Serbia's efforts to defend Kosovo, which declared its independence from Belgrade on Sunday. Well I would agree that the violence certainly isn't helping, but I'm confused as to how this is damaging Serbia's ability to defend Kosovo. Unless I'm mistaken, Kosovo isn't Serbia's to defend anymore. More than a dozen nations have recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence, including the United States, Britain, France and Germany. But the declaration by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership has been rejected by Serbia's government and the ethnic Serbians who populate northern Kosovo.

Pentagon - Score one for the military. Using radar, data from sensors and other technology, Pentagon officials were studying smaller-than-expected pieces of the spacecraft that was hit Wednesday by an interceptor missile launched from a Navy cruiser in the Pacific. I for one had no doubt whatsoever that they would score a hit on their first attempt. The main question was whether the high-speed collision of the missile and satellite had destroyed the satellite's hydrazine fuel tank and vented its toxic gas into space. Officials had said avoiding human exposure to the toxin was the primary reason for destroying the spacecraft, which lost power shortly after it reached orbit in late 2006 and was out of control and slowly descending toward Earth. The military was counting the pieces of debris caused by the satellite shootdown, which was an unprecedented use of components of the Pentagon's missile defense system, but believed they were smaller than the Pentagon had forecast and that most of the satellite's intelligence value was likely destroyed. So like why would the Pentagon be worried about intelligence value when the 'real threat' was the toxic hydazine fuel? Hmm. I wonder. Even before the missile launch, some international leaders and critics in the scientific community suggested it was a thinly disguised attempt to test an anti-satellite weapon — one that could take out other nations' orbiting communications and spy spacecraft. Poopy-gook. That couldn't possibly be the reason.

Canada - Canada's Conservative government says the country's troops will leave southern Afghanistan in 2011. The compromise with the opposition Liberals lessens the likelihood of an early national election. Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled the new motion on Thursday. Harper is under pressure to withdraw Canada's troops from Afghanistan after the deaths of 78 soldiers and a diplomat. The mission is set to expire in 2009 unless lawmakers extend it. Support for the extension is conditional on NATO providing more troops and equipment to back up Canadian forces in the south, the former Taliban stronghold. I highlight this story on the off chance that anyone out there--say the President or anyone in Congress--was wondering if it was actually possible to come up with an exit strategy for military engagements in places link Afghanistan or Iraq. It would appear that the answer is yes. That is, of course, if you are willing to trust those suspicious Canadians.

2008 Presidential Race - First the big story of the day. Barack Obama won the Democrats Abroad global primary in results announced today, giving him 11 straight victories in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. More than 20,000 U.S. citizens living abroad voted in the primary, which ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. Obama won about 65% of the vote. The party will send 14 pledged delegates to the convention, each with a half vote. The primary was used to determine nine people, or the equivalent of 4.5 delegates. Obama won 2.5 and Hillary Clinton won 2. Yeah, I can see how this 'blowout' would really bother Hillary. There is no comparable primary among Republicans, though the GOP has several contests this weekend in U.S. territories, including party caucuses in Puerto Rico Sunday.

Oh, by the way, there was a small new item that popped up concerning John McCain. John McCain sought to minimize damage to his man-of-character image and his presidential hopes, vigorously denying and denouncing a newspaper report suggesting an improper relationship with a female lobbyist. The allegations in the Thursday report in the New York Times — and a story in The Washington Post — contradict core themes of McCain's campaign — that he would bring honor and integrity to the White House as well as a record of changing business-as-usual Washington ways. In a twist, however, there were early signs that the brouhaha might actually help McCain solidify the GOP base. Conservative pundits who are some of McCain's harshest critics could have jumped on the issue to question the strength of McCain's family values. Instead, they went after the Times. All I can say about this is that, for the sake of journalistic integrity, I hope the New York Times can back up its assertions. I'd hate to see that this episode was just a ploy to attack a candidate or, worse yet, a strategy to sell more newspapers. I'm sorry to say, that I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the latter was true. Disappointed, yes; surprised, not really.

Public Service Announcement - Here is another in a rather infrequent series of hopefully informative postings that may be of some use to thrift-minded (or in my case--bewildered) consumers. This item comes courtesy of Car and Driver magazine.

Top 10 fuel-efficiency surprises

1. 2008 Audi TT 2.0T 23 mpg city/31 mpg highway
2. 2008 Chevrolet Corvette 16 mpg city/26 mpg highway
   This is good? What was it before?
3. 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 21 mpg city/22 mpg highway
4. 2008 Dodge Sprinter CRD 25 mpg combined
   So if you are in the market for a delivery van, this is your baby
5. 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 23 mpg city/32 mpg highway
6. 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 35 mpg city/33 mpg highway
7. 2008 Porsche Cayman 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway
8. 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 27 mpg city/25 mpg highway
9. 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 31 mpg city/39 mpg highway
10. 2009 Toyota Matrix 26 mpg city/32 mpg highway

Top 10 closet gas hogs

1. 2008 Saab 9-7X Aero 12 mpg city/16 mpg highway
2. 2008 Jeep Wrangler 15 mpg city/19 mpg highway
3. 2008 Jeep Liberty 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway
4. 2008 Saturn Vue XE 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway
5. 2008 Pontiac G6 GT Convertible 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway
   Dude that blows. What's worse is this doesn't even have the redeeming quality of being a chick magnet
6. 2008 Mazda RX-8 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway
7. 2008 Mazda CX-7 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway
   If you are keeping count this is the fifth SUV on the list.
8. 2008 Volvo S80 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway
9. 2008 Pontiac Solstice 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway
10. Anything on E85 City/Highway: Minus 25%
    Okay this one requires some explanation. E85 reduces the fuel economy of any vehicle burning it by about 25%. For example, the grand-prize glugger of the full-size-truck segment, the Dodge Ram 1500, gets 12 mpg in the city and 16 on the highway. Fill ’er up with E85, and the fuel “economy” falls to 9/12.

Cycling - Dude, you all thought I forgot about the Tour of California, didn't you? For shame. Levi Leipheimer took the overall lead in the Tour of California on Wednesday. Leipheminer emerged at the front of the field following the most difficult stage in the race’s three-year history. It featured five climbs, including the ascent of Mount Hamilton—elevation 4,360 feet—followed by a steep 20-mile descent with 165 turns.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Barack Obama added Wisconsin and Hawaii to a primary season winning streak that now totals 10 and has put Hillary Clinton into a virtual must-win scenario in Democratic contests coming early next month in Texas and Ohio. I'm not exactly sure that is the case, but I suppose this makes for a more compelling storyline. And those news organization guys do need to make a living, you know. Obama cut deeply into Clinton's political bedrock in Wisconsin, splitting the support of white women almost evenly with her. He also ran well among working class voters in the blue collar battleground that was prelude to primaries in the larger industrial states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Clinton congratulated Obama on his two latest victories but dismissed the Illinois senator as leading a movement with little to show for his eloquence and promises. Not exactly a heartfelt congratulations is it? Call me a skeptic, but I don't think she really wanted to acknowledge Obama's victories. John McCain easily won the Republican primary in Wisconsin with 55% of the vote, dispatching Mike Huckabee and edging closer to the 1,191 delegates he needs to clinch the GOP nomination. McCain stepped up his criticism of Obama, suggesting the Democrat doesn't have the experience or judgment on foreign policy and defense matters needed in a president. See this would be more worrisome to me if I was a member of the Clinton campaign than the current delegate count. What does it say of Clinton's standing in this race, when the presumptive Republican presidential candidate starts gearing up his strategy to go up against Obama in the general election?

Space Shuttle - Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew returned to Earth, wrapping up a 5 million-mile journey highlighted by the successful delivery of a new European lab to the international space station. NASA wanted Atlantis back as soon as possible to clear the way for the Navy to shoot down a dying spy satellite on the verge of smashing into Earth with a load of toxic fuel. The missile could be launched as early as tonight from a warship in the Pacific. Nice to see that NASA has such confidence in the Navy. Better to play it safe, but honestly, just how much of a risk do you think there really was? This certainly isn't in my realm of expertise, but I have to believe that a space shuttle doesn't exactly resemble a satellite. One would hope that the Navy could tell the difference between the two. NASA's next mission is just three weeks away. Endeavour is scheduled to blast off with the first piece of Japan's massive space station lab on March 11. The second piece of the Japanese Kibo lab — Kibo means hope — was supposed to go up in April aboard Discovery, but has been delayed until May because of shuttle fuel tank work. Atlantis, meanwhile, won't fly again until the end of August, when it takes a team of repairmen to the Hubble Space Telescope for one final tuneup.

Britain - The former head of MI6 denied that the British intelligence agency was responsible for the car accident that killed Princess Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi al Fayed, in 1997 and also said that an operation by rogue agents would have been impossible. Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, has accused MI6 of engineering the death of his son and the princess at the behest of Prince Philip, the queen's husband. Okay, so like it's 2008. When will this case be put to rest? As for these revelations from this MI6 bloke, what were investigators expecting him to say? "Oh, yes. Prince Philip ordered a hit on Diana, so we went out and whacked her under the guise of an automobile accident." I don't think so. I'm not suggesting that Fayed's accusations are without merit, but unless someone in the know decides to come clean (assuming there is anything to come clean about), this inquiry probably won't reveal any new information about Diana's death.

Africa - President Bush said that talk of the United States building new military bases in Africa to expand its influence is "baloney." My apologies for including such a technical term as "baloney", but I wanted to quote the president accurately. The Defense Department created Africa Command last October to consolidate operations that had been split among three other regional commands, none of which had Africa as a primary focus. Several African countries, including Libya, Nigeria and South Africa, have expressed deep reservations, fearing the plan signals an unwanted expansion of American power on the continent or is a cover for protecting Africa's vast oil resources on the United States' behalf. I don't see why these guys were so concerned. Maybe they haven't noticed, but our military is stretched rather thin right now. Even if we wanted to establish new military bases in Africa, we don't have enough troops to staff them. Besides, if we really think there is a threat to the oil supply to the U.S., we'll just invade the nation(s) in question. We don't need no stinking military bases to do that.

Antarctica - Scientists investigating the icy waters of Antarctica said they have collected mysterious creatures including giant sea spiders and huge worms in the murky depths. Experts taking part in an international program to take a census of marine life in the ocean at the far south of the world collected specimens from up to 6,500 feet beneath the surface, and said many may never have been seen before. Some of the animals far under the sea grow to unusually large sizes, a phenomenon called gigantism that scientists still do not fully understand. The expedition is part of an ambitious international effort to map life forms in the Antarctic Ocean, also known as the Southern Ocean, and to study the impact of forces such as climate change on the undersea environment. In an time where most news of this nature reports on the extinction of species, it's encouraging to hear that there are species that are still being discovered. Of course (and forgive me for the pessimistic tone that follows), one could make the argument that the reason these newly discovered lifeforms have flourished, is because humans didn't know that they existed. Now that we do, I figure their days are numbered.

Cycling - This is pretty much the last item today. So if you have no interest in the Tour of California (you philostines!) then we'll see you tomorrow. Former world road race titlist Tom Boonen of Belgium won the second stage and American Tyler Farrar grabbed a one-second race lead yesterday in the rainy Amgen Tour of California. With his stage win, Boonen moved into third overall, trailing by 4 seconds. Defending race titlist Levi Leipheimer (Astana) of Santa Rosa, Calif., finished 21st in the stage in the main field. He dropped two places to sixth, 7 seconds behind Farrar. The field of 131 riders will contest the 103-mile Modesto to San Jose stage 3 today. The road race includes five categorized climbs, including the ascent of Mt. Hamilton at 4,360-feet, the race's second-highest peak.

What Caught My Eye Today

Cuba - Fidel Castro announced he was resigning as Cuba's president, ending a half-century of autocratic rule which made him a communist icon and a relentless opponent of U.S. policy around the globe. Castro has been Cuba's unchallenged leader since 1959. Monarchs excepted, he was the world's longest ruling head of state. I did not know that. Though I suppose it makes sense. who else but a dictator could remain in power this long? The resignation opens the path for Raul Castro's succession to the presidency, and the full autonomy he has lacked in leading a caretaker government. The younger Castro has raised expectations among Cubans for modest economic and other reforms, saying last year that the country requires unspecified "structural changes" and acknowledging that government wages averaging about $19 a month do not meet basic needs. Bear in mind that the minimum wage in the U.S. is about $8 an hour--so it's nice to see Raul acknowledging this. In Washington, the government said it had no plans to change U.S. policy or lift its embargo on Cuba. The State Department denigrated the change as a "transfer of authority and power from dictator to dictator light." Oh, come on guys. How about showing a little optimism here. I'm not saying that he'll be Mr. Democracy, but at least give Raul a chance to prove himself.

Pakistan - A top opposition leader called on President Pervez Musharraf to step aside after his ruling party conceded defeat in parliamentary elections. The vote was also a slap to Islamist parties, which lost control of a province where al-Qaida and Taliban fighters have sought refuge. With counting from Monday's election nearly complete, the two main opposition parties won a total of 154 of the 268 contested seats. The Pakistan People's Party of assassinated ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto was leading with 86 seats and was likely to spearhead the new government in partnership with other opposition groups. At best, Musharraf faces the prospect of remaining in power with sharply diminished powers even if the opposition fails to muster the two-thirds support in parliament to impeach him. Constitutionally, the president is the head of state and nominally the commander in chief of the armed forces. He also has the power to dissolve parliament. But the prime minister runs the government on a day-to-day basis. With a strong electoral mandate, the new prime minister would doubtless command greater authority than those who served under Musharraf's military rule. I've never understood the deal with presidents and prime ministers. In the U.S. it's rather simple. You lose an election, you leave office. Rather cut and dry if you ask me. Of course you can argue the question of how we actually determine the winner, what with the popular vote not necessarily dictating the outcome, but that is a separate conversation altogether.

2008 Presidential Race - Democrats in Wisconsin and Hawaii make their choices on Tuesday in a heated presidential battle, with Hillary Clinton hoping to snap Barack Obama's winning streak ahead of big contests in March. Public opinion polls show Obama and Clinton in a tight race in Wisconsin, where Obama aims to extend his string of eight straight victories in Democratic nominating contests. Obama, a Hawaii native, is a heavy favorite in that state. Up for grabs in the two states are a combined 94 delegates. Obama and Clinton already have turned their attention to March 4 contests in two of the biggest states, Ohio and Texas, which have a rich lode of 334 convention delegates at stake. Republicans also hold a primary in Wisconsin, with front-runner John McCain looking to continue his march to the nomination. McCain has a huge and essentially insurmountable lead in delegates over his last remaining major rival, Mike Huckabee. Do you think that GOP officials are keeping Huckabee in the race just to keep the Republican race in the public eye? Honestly, this dude doesn't have a prayer of a chance. Then there are the Democrats on the other end of the spectrum. While these folks are putting up quite the entertaining spectacle, one has to believe that there is some concern among party officials that lack of consensus support for one candidate or the other could pose some serious challenges to party unity the longer this goes on.

Iraq - The Iraqi Interior Ministry has ordered police to round up beggars, vagabonds and mentally disabled people from the streets of Baghdad to prevent them from being used by insurgents as suicide bombers. The decision came after a series of suicide attacks, including two female bombers who struck pet markets in Baghdad earlier this month, killing nearly 100 people. Iraqi and U.S. officials have said the women were mentally disabled and apparently unwitting bombers. The Iraqi claim that mentally disabled women were used in the pet market bombings was met initially with skepticism but the U.S. military later backed the Iraqi account of the bombings. The allegations fit into a wider campaign of confronting insurgents' changing tactics — such as using women or children as suicide bombers — as they seek to bypass stepped-up security measures and bounce back from losses in recent U.S.-led offensives. Okay, first off I'd like to know what information came to light to change the U.S. military's skepticism of these claims. I'm not saying there is anything funny going on here, but it would be nice to see why the U.S. is doing an about face on this issue. Secondly, and I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, what moron is dreaming up these tactics for the insurgents? The biggest asset these guys had going for them was public support. Well, they've managed to piss that away.

Lindsay Lohan - With my recent decision to suspend my rips on Britney Spears (girlfriend has enough people dumping on her), it's been slim pickings on finding some hard hitting news. Thank goodness for Ms. Lohan. Lindsay Lohan is following in the footsteps of the most famous blond bombshell of them all — Marilyn Monroe. Lohan posed nude for photographer Bert Stern in a recreation of one of Monroe's most famous photo shoots, done shortly before she died. Stern photographed Monroe posing nude with some scarves and jewelry as her accessories and sipping champagne. Stern recreated those images with Lohan this month, at the same hotel, with Lohan wearing a blond wig and not much else. I'll say this. Lohan was looking smoking hot is some of those photos. Of course, I'm not exactly sure this sort of exposure (get it?) is ideal for someone who has been teetering on the edge of cracking up over the past year. But what do I know--I'm not a shrink. Seriously, though--smoking hot.

What Caught My Eye Today

Kosovo - The U.S. and the European Union's biggest powers quickly recognized Kosovo as an independent nation Monday, widening a split with Russia, China and some EU members strongly opposed to letting the territory break away from Serbia. Do you think the Taiwan issue has anything to do with China's uneasiness over the developments in Kosovo? After an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Britain, Germany and France said they would quickly give recognition to Kosovo, a move that would be followed in the days ahead by most of the bloc's other 24 member states, officials said. The EU does not recognize nations, leaving that up to its individual members, and Spain, Greece, Romania and Cyprus have criticized the effort to make Kosovo independent. Dude, how about showing a little party unity? Hold on, my mistake. For a minute there, I was thinking NATO was a political arrangement. My bad. You guys go ahead and disagree with the folks who have all the guns and are protecting your borders. Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that independence without U.N. approval sets a dangerous precedent for the former Soviet Union, where separatists in Russia's Chechnya region and two areas of Georgia are agitating for independence. Russian officials hinted last week that if Kosovo declared independence it might retaliate by recognizing the independence claims of Abkhazia and South Ossetia — two Russian-supported provinces in Georgia. Nothing like a little tit for tat among world powers, wouldn't you say? Serbia recalled its ambassador to Washington in protest of U.S. recognition for Kosovo, but said it was not severing diplomatic ties. It also withdrew envoys to France and Turkey and was expected to recall others as more nations formally recognized Kosovo as a new state. Yeah, I bet that's really going to sting the folks in Washington. That's going to totally screw up the seating arrangements at the annual State Department's St. Patrick Day Dinner Dance.

Tanzania - President Bush was swept up in an outpouring of affection in Tanzania's rural north, where tens of thousands lined the road to see him. Well, I suppose it is comforting to know that Bush's foreign policy hasn't alienated us from every country. Midway through a trek through five African nations that have benefited from U.S. largesse, Bush spent the day in Mount Kilamanjaro's massive shadow to reinforce the strides being made with his malaria program. The president launched a five-year, $1.2 billion plan in 2005 to cut malaria deaths in half in the hardest-hit countries, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. It leverages private sector support to provide indoor spraying, cutting-edge drugs and vouchers for a 75 percent discount off the purchase of insecticide-treated bed nets. Vouchers for 2 million nets have been handed out in Tanzania alone. And Bush announced Monday that the U.S. — in partnership with the country's government, the World Bank and the U.N.-sponsored Global Fund — will start within six months distributing another 5.2 million nets here for free. That's enough, he said, to cover every Tanzanian child between ages one and five. Of course, a little life-saving bribery doesn't hurt either. Politics aside, not to mention my cynical perspective, I think it's great to celebrate some of the good things the United States manages to accomplish. We certainly have enough press coverage of all the stuff we mess up.

Canada - I have to give a shout out to the missus for contributing this next item. Past indiscretions are coming back to haunt thousands of American travellers heading north as Canadian border guards use improved technology to screen for criminal records. The sharing of computerized information and increased vigilance since Sept. 11, 2001, have led more than 18,000 U.S. citizens with criminal records to be turned away since 2003. Some 3,430 people were turned away among 28.9 million visitors in 2006, compared to 5,876 who were denied entry among 35.5 million visitors in 2003. With the number of U.S. visitors plummeting from a high of 44 million in 2000 to 28.9 million in 2006 there is growing buzz about tough Canadian borders threatens to dampen tourism further. Visitors from the United States with minor criminal records dating back years can often obtain waivers from Canadian authorities that "rehabilitate" them and allow them to enter the country. This story reminds me of a similar situation facing the U.S. military. In order to meet agressive recruiting goals amount a declining pool of eligible candidates, several branches of the military decides to cast a broader net by reduing the eligibility requirement to enlist. It's basically the same thing here. If you want to boost up those tourism statistics, you may just have to look the other way and those American hooligans cross the border.

Space Shuttle - Atlantis and its seven-man crew is due back Wednesday. Good weather is expected at Cape Canaveral, but if that changes, NASA will guide Atlantis to the backup touchdown site in California to give the military time enough time to shoot down a damaged spy satellite without endangering the shuttle. Yes, we wouldn't want the military to get confused and shoot down the wrong thing would we? The shuttle crew, along with the 3 person space station crew, devoted almost all of their time together to the European Space Agency's $2 billion Columbus lab, which was dropped off by Atlantis. Just about the time Atlantis was undocking, another shuttle, Endeavour, was reaching the launch pad in preparation for the next flight to the space station. That liftoff is targeted for March 11. Just like clock work, right? Let's hope so.

Cycling - Yes sir, boys and girls. It's that glorious time of year again. That's right, its Tour of California time again. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland rode to a nearly five-second victory Sunday over Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain in the prologue of the Amgen Tour of California. Cancellara, who won the 2007 prologue of the Tour de France, completed the 2.05-mile course that finished at Stanford University in 3 minutes and 51.2 seconds. Levi Leipheimer, winner of the prologue and the race title last year, was fourth. Leipheimer, who rode for Discovery Channel last season, is riding this year for Astana, and he and his teammates hope to use the California race to shake off the disappointment of being banned from this year's Tour de France over doping scandals. Event organizers rejected the entries of riders Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla, who have been linked with the Operation Puerto doping probe in Spain and said that 17 teams signed up for the third edition of the event agreed they would not field any rider not approved by the International Cycling Union. Stage 1, was a 97 mile trek from Sausalito to Santa Rosa featuring 3 sprints and one category 3 King of the Mountains climb. Cancellara retained the overall leader's jersey as did most of the other leaders, including Leipheimer who is 6 seconds behind in the general classification. And--as if I had to tell you--you can see the highlights on Versus along with the riveting commentary of Paul Sherwin, Phil Ligget and Bob Roll. It's like Christmas all over again, ain't it?

What Caught My Eye Today

Kosovo - Mark you calendars, folks. We have a new national holiday. Revelers fired guns, waved red-and-black Albanian flags and set off fireworks over Kosovo after parliament proclaimed independence in defiance of Serbia and Russia, which condemned the declaration of the world's newest nation. A decade after a bloody separatist war with Serbian forces that claimed 10,000 lives, lawmakers pronounced the territory the Republic of Kosovo and pledged to make it a "democratic, multiethnic state." Its leaders looked for swift recognition from the U.S. and key European powers — but also braced for a bitter showdown. Serbia called the declaration illegal and its ally Russia denounced it, saying it threatened to touch off a new conflict in the Balkans. Kosovo's independence set up a showdown with Serbia — outraged at the imminent loss of its territory — and Russia, which warned that it would set a dangerous precedent for separatist groups worldwide. Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that independence without U.N. approval would set a dangerous precedent for "frozen conflicts" across the former Soviet Union, where separatists in Chechnya and Georgia are agitating for independence. While I don't blame Serbia for being a bit miffed that some of its territory is no longer its territory, I would think that they would be glad to be rid of this headache. After all, history has show that Albanian and Orthodox Christians don't have a whole heck of a lot in common with each other. As for Russia, maybe I'm interpreting the reports incorrectly, but it seems to me the only reason that they have their noses bent out of shape isn't because they particularly care about Serbia or Kosovo, but rather the dangerous precedent that Kosovo's independence sets. Apparently, Russia has some disgruntled territories that could be inspired by Kosovo to claim their own independence. Sure that's possible, but one thing Russia has the Serbia doesn't is a rather immense military arsenal. Seeing as no one--the United States, in particular--wants to get into a row with Russia, Putin could pretty much squash any attempt that Chechnya or Georgia mounted without much opposition from the international community. Outrage, yes--opposition, probably not.

China - China said it was concerned about U.S. military plans to shoot down a damaged spy satellite that is hurtling toward Earth with 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel. The U.S. military has said it hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week — just before it enters Earth's atmosphere — with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean. The Chinese government was monitoring the situation and has urged the U.S. to avoid causing damages to security in outer space and in other countries. What sort of damages do the Chinese think this will cause? Call me crazy, but the damages that could be caused by just letting the satellite crash to the Earth, seem a bit more worrisome. Russia also has voiced worries about the U.S. plan to shoot down the damaged satellite, saying it may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system. I think it's more like an insurance policy to make sure that no debris can be recovered by the wrong people. Though I have to believe that the U.S. military will learn an awful lot about its capabilities from this exercise. The Bush administration and U.S. military officials have said the bus-sized satellite is carrying a fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. U.S. diplomats around the world have been instructed to inform governments that the operation is meant to protect people from the satellite's blazing descent and the toxic fuel it is carrying. The diplomats were told to distinguish the upcoming attempt to destroy the satellite from China's much criticized test last year, when it used a missile to destroy a defunct weather satellite. See, this sort of thing baffles me. When China did the same sort of thing last year, there was worldwide condemnation, but when we decide to do the same thing, it's alright because we're doing it for the safety of humanity. Can you say, "double standard?"

Nuclear Power - After years of resistance, the British government last month gave the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations. As many as 10 new reactors are in the works. Around the world, up to 90 nuclear reactors are being planned, many of them in Europe. It has been about two decades since a reactor has been built in Western Europe outside of nuclear stalwarts such as France and Finland. About 30% of Europe's electricity is produced by nuclear plants, versus about 20% in the United States. Finland is building the world's largest reactor. The 1,600-megawatt reactor is scheduled to open in 2011. France is constructing its 60th reactor, in Normandy. Eastern Europe is embracing nuclear energy, with Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia all constructing new reactors. I know all this sounds rather dry and mundane, however, I did find a tasty little morsel on Bulgaria's construction plans. In its infinite wisdom, the Bulgarian government has decided to build its nuclear power plant on an earthquake fault line. This isn't just any old fault line either. This fault is so active than four Russian reactors in the area have been shut down. I appreciate that it is rather difficult to find a location to build nuclear power plans, I really do. But seriously, if the Russian are so afraid that they are shutting down nuclear power plants, shouldn't this be viewed as a red flag of sorts?

Beef - The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small. The Agriculture Department has evidence that company in question did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations Federal officials suspended operations at meat processor after an undercover Humane Society video surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts. Let me first say that I am an animal lover. That said, you may find my reaction to this story a bit contradictory. Just what sort of living conditions would you expect to find at these sorts of facilities. The sole purpose of these places is to produce livestock for slaughter. It's not a pretty picture, but it is what it is. I'd be a hypocrite if I condemned these operators too severely, because I buy their product. While I applaud the Agriculture Department's motives, if the meat isn't tainted, all they are accomplishing is reduced the food supply in an environment where food prices are already sharply higher across the board.

Motor Sports - Time to let that inner-redneck in all of us rejoice, NASCAR is back. Yee-haw and pass me some moonshine. For the second straight year, The Great American Race came down to the last lap. This time the drama rewarded Ryan Newman, who hadn't won in 81 races over more than two years, and team owner Roger Penske, long the king at Indianapolis but never a winner at Daytona. Newman got a ``push from heaven'' from teammate Kurt Busch to take the lead on the final lap. The win was the first for Dodge at Daytona since Ward Burton's win in 2001. Besides the win, Dodge drivers took six of the eight top spots. Rounding out the top ten after Newman and Busch were, Tony Stewart (better luck next time, Smoke), Kyle Busch (easily the fastest car on the track), Reed Sorenson, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Robby Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr (like your new team, bro'?) and Greg Biffle. Other than Junior's top ten finish, Hendrick Motorsports had a pretty crappy day. Jimmie Johnson came in 27th, Casey Mears in 35th, and Jeff Gordon 39th. Johnson and Mears were both involved in wrecks and Gordon had mechanical issues.

Basketball - The NBA All-Star Game took place today. Didn't notice? Neither did I.

What Caught My Eye Today

Illinois - Tragically, history appears to have repeated itself. This time at North Illinois University. A man opened fire in a crowded lecture hall at Northern Illinois University yesterday. Authorities said the intruder, a former student wielding a shotgun and two handguns, killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others before killing himself. Investigators recovered 48 shell casings and six shotgun shells following the attack in Cole Hall. The gunman paused to reload his shotgun after opening fire on a crowd of terrified students in a geology class, sending them running and crawling toward the exits. He shot himself to death on the stage of the hall. Within 20 minutes of the shooting, officials posted a message on the school's Web site about a report of a possible gunman on campus and warning students to "get to a safe area and take precautions until given the all clear." NIU officials canceled classes and closed the campus as part of a new security plan created after a student at Virginia Tech killed 32 people last year. Perhaps some good can be taken from this episode. It certainly appears that as a result of the massacre at Virginia Tech last year, that college campuses have done well to improve on their methods of communication with their student populations. Now if someone could figure out a way to intervene before the shooting begins, then we would really have something.

Space - It must be your lucky day, especially if you are a space junkie. I have two stories for you today.

Two astronauts ventured outside today for the last spacewalk of the shuttle Atlantis' mission to the international space station, working to attach science experiments to the exterior of the new Columbus lab. They were scheduled to spend about 6 1/2 hours installing the experiments and retrieving an old space station gyroscope. So far, so good. Let's hope this run of good luck carries forward into the remaining space shuttle missions to finish construction on the International Space Station.

This next item is a follow up on a story I posted a couple of weeks ago about a disabled military satellite.

The Bush administration is trying to convince foreign countries that the Pentagon's plan to shoot down a dying spy satellite is not a test of a program to kill their orbiting communications and intelligence capabilities. The State Department has instructed U.S. diplomats around the world to inform their host governments that the operation, which could be conducted as early as next week, is aimed solely at protecting people that could be affected by about 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel on the bus-sized satellite now hurtling toward earth. U.S. officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, persuaded President Bush to order the shoot-down. The Pentagon has predicted a fairly high chance — as much as 80% — of hitting the satellite, which will be about 150 miles up before it enters Earth's atmosphere when a single missile will be fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean. Left alone, the satellite would be expected to hit Earth during the first week of March. About half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft would be expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and would scatter debris over several hundred miles. Two thoughts come to mind. First, is it really that surprising that the international community is skeptical of the Pentagon's motives in attempting to shooting down this satellite. Not too long ago, I'm thinking our credibility would have been strong enough to avoid drawing any suspicions. Secondly, I bet you that Pentagon officials are just itching for the chance to show off its arsenal. Oh sure, they'rer doing this for the greater good...allegedly, but if they can scare a few folks at the same time, bonus.

2008 Presidential Campaign - The chief songwriter and founder of the band Boston has more than a feeling that he's being ripped off by Mike Huckabee. In a letter to the Republican presidential hopeful, Tom Scholz complains that Huckabee is using his 1970s smash hit song "More Than a Feeling" without his permission. "Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and with all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for," wrote Scholz, adding that he is supporting Democratic candidate Barack Obama. "By using my song, and my band's name Boston, you have taken something of mine and used it to promote ideas to which I am opposed. In other words, I think I've been ripped off, dude!" The chairman of Huckabee's New Hampshire campaign, called the allegations ridiculous. I'm not inclined to disagree with Huckabee's camp. However, you would have thought that in this day and age where the slightest transgression can get blown way out of proportion, that Huckabee's camp would have made sure that using this song would cause a flap--like this, for instance. As for that dude from Boston, you need to think big picture, bro'. You talk about getting ripped off? Think about all those royalties you might have gotten from Huckabee supporters. After that outburst, I thinking probably not.

And I certainly don't want to leave out the Democrats...

Barack Obama collected a key labor endorsement and coaxed away one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's delegates. This would be of the super delegate variety, otherwise I doubt that this would be particularly newsworthy. Obama traveled across Wisconsin during the day, hoping to add the state to an impressive string of primary victories. Clinton has suffered a spate of crippling developments — eight straight losses, campaign finance problems, a shake-up of her staff. Obama's advisers say even though some of his supporters assume she is on the verge of collapse, it would be a mistake to underestimate the Clintons. They have proven their ability again and again to make a comeback when they were at their lowest. I'm thinking that's probably a good idea. Obama only has a 100 delegate lead, which may amount to very little depending on how the super delegates choose to vote. Incidentally, how about a shout out to the fine folks counting the votes in New Mexico. It only took you 10 days to figure out who won. Way to go, Hillary.

Africa - President Bush, embarking on a trip to Africa, said the United States has a moral imperative as well as economic, political and national security interests in fighting poverty, disease and corruption across the continent. The president and his wife, Laura, will arrive Saturday on a five-country trip. The first stop is the West African nation of Benin, followed by visits to Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia. Bush, nearing the end of a presidency dominated by the war in Iraq, is proud of the administration's humanitarian foreign policy. He often talks about how many Americans are unaware of their own generosity abroad, and he makes a point to publicize the country's giving nature. The president is also behind a major effort to reduce malaria, which is a major killer of young children in Africa. I don't want to discount the positive impact that we've had in combatting AIDS, especially when so much of our foreign policy is a complete and utter failure. However, what does it say about our international standing when the President has to make a point of our generosity. Remember the old days when actions spoke louder than words? Well, actually, I suppose it was our actions that kind of got us into the predicaments we now find ourselves in. Okay, nevermind. Let's move on shall we?

Pope - Pope Benedict XVI will visit the White House in April during his first visit to the United States as pontiff. The president and the pope are planning to continue discussions they began during Bush's trip to the Vatican in June 2007 on the importance of faith and reason in reaching shared goals including advancing peace throughout the Middle East and other troubled regions, promoting interfaith understanding and strengthening human rights and freedom. Here's thought. How about we stop threatening to invade other countries under the guise of preemptive strikes whenever we suspect that they may have weapons of mass destruction and/or may be harboring terrorist organizations. Or at the very least, perhaps we could have a shred of evidence before 'shocking and awing' these guys into the depths of hell. Like I said, just a thought.

Obesity - Being obese or even overweight may increase a person's risk of developing up to a dozen different types of cancer. Doctors have long suspected a link between weight gain and certain cancers, including colon and breast cancers. But a new study suggests it could also increase chances for cancer of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus and gall bladder, among others. In men, an average weight gain of 33 pounds increased the risk of esophageal cancer by 52%, thyroid cancer by 33%, and colon and kidney cancers each by 24%. In women, a weight gain of 29 pounds increased the risk of cancer in the uterus and gall bladder by nearly 60%, esophagus by 51% and kidney by 34%. The kicker for me was the conclusion that this study reached. Scientists are unsure how being overweight could make people more susceptible to cancer, however, because many studies have found that fatter people are more likely to get cancer, experts often recommend losing weight to reduce cancer risk. Way to go out on a limb there, guys. I'm not sure there are too many folks out there who would suggest that being overweight is preferable to maintaining a healthy weight. Would it ba asking too much to have you medical wizards come up with something that we don't already know?

What Caught My Eye Today

Economy - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that the country's economic outlook has deteriorated and signaled that the central bank is ready to keep on lowering a key interest rate — as needed — to shore things up. In remarks to the Senate Banking Committee, Bernanke said the one-two punch of the housing and credit crises has greatly strained the economy. Hiring has slowed and people are likely to tighten their belts further, as they are pinched by high energy prices and watch the value of their single biggest asset — their homes — weaken, he warned. Well golly gee, Mr. Bernanke, thanks for clearing that up for us. I had no idea the economy was in such a predicament. I just assume the recent plunge in the stock market, housing prices and pretty much every other downward spiraling economic indicator were just a coincidence. But if you are saying that there is actually something to be worried about, well I guess we should start paying attention.

China - This one cracks me up. A new breed of criminal has emerged in China: "pigjackers." Soaring pork prices in China have sent thieves roaring off with truckloads of hogs. The increase in pork theft is no joke to China's leaders. But it sure as heck is amusing to the rest of us. They see it as a sign of a much larger problem: they dread the kind of mass unrest that could erupt out of a spike in pork prices. A full 65% of the country's total protein consumption is pork. Food prices in general, and pork in particular, have been skyrocketing in recent months. This next part, really gets the funny bone going. In an effort to head off serious trouble, Beijing has tapped the country's official "pork reserve." It's the actual term for the special stash of meat the Chinese government keeps frozen in case of a sudden supply crunch--not unlike America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Okay, you all need to stop this. Seriously, just stop it. You're killing me.

Military Honors - Here's a fascinating piece on the U.S. military's recognition of military valor, or rather, lack thereof. The U.S. government has bestowed more than 3,400 members of the military with the Medal of Honor. It is the highest military decoration that can be awarded to those who serve. 18% of the recipients got the award postumuously. 124 Medals of Honor were bestowed for World War I, 464 for World War II, 131 for the Korean War, 245 for the Vietnam War, and 3 so far for the war on terrorism (all for actions in Iraq). Pentagon officials say the disparity has to do with the nature of combat in Iraq: less face-to-face fighting and fewer occasions for valor. Most American troops never see Iraqi insurgents. About 40% of the fatalities in Iraq have been caused by roadside bombs planted in secret and detonated remotely. I'm not so sure I would be splitting hairs over the definition of valor if I were one of these Pentagon officials. These guys are fouling up things badly enough in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do they really need to insult the memory of its fallen soldiers by bungling this up as well?

Obesity - The Mississippi legislature is considering a bill that would ban restaurants from serving food to very fat people. The proposed law would revoke the license of any restaurant caught repeatedly feeding the obese. Mississippi has a 30% obesity rate, the nation's highest. The bill's sponsor said he was trying to call attention to a neglected public-health crisis. Did I mention that this story comes out of Mississippi? I don't want to trivialize the growing problem of obesity, but is denying folks the right to eat really the best way to tackle this issue?

Geology - NERD ALERT - Besides my fascination with space, the nerd in me also happens to have an inexplicably interest in geology. You won't offend me in the slightest if you want to skip over this one. The impact on human activity on the globe has been so profound that some scientists say we have entered a new geological epoch. The current epoch, the Holocene ("entirely recent") encompasses the last 11,500 years. It is defined as the time period since that end of the last ice age. Since the human population hit 1 billion about 200 years ago, a group of geologists has suggested that the landscape of our planet has been profoundly transformed and is proposing that we christen modern times the "Anthropocene" epoch. See the problem with this proposal is that we are talking about geological time. 200 years amounts to the blink of an eye in geological terms. I'm not suggesting that the human race has had no impact on the planet, but realistically, we're going to need to wait for at least a couple more centuries--at least--before we can begin to suggest that the earth has entered into a new era. I'm surprised, to tell you the truth, that geologists are proposing this. Scientists are notoriously slow when it comes to introducing new classifications. Geologists these days. Always in a rush.

Public Service Announcement - Not exactly a news item, but I read an article recently about some web sites that offer services to cut down on the amount of spam and junk mail you receive.

Dmaconsumers.org, the Direct Marketing Association's site, provides consumers with an "opt-out offer." Pay $1 to have your name removed from mailing, telemarketing, and e-mail lists. The association also provides helpful hints to protect you from identity theft.

Optoutprescreen.com exists to "stop the credit-card-offer madness." Once you sign up on the site, you can choose to "stop receiving all those offers permanently or for 5 years at a time."

Catalogchoice.org offers a free service to help you "cut off the catalogs" for good. Simply click and select which ones you no longer want, rather than having to call each company to cancel.