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.