What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Campaign - Hillary Clinton accused Barack Obama and his allies of trying to stop people from voting as some of his backers have called on her to drop out of the presidential race. The Obama campaign rejected the charge, dismissing Clinton's criticism as "completely laughable." Dude, this whole campaign is becoming completely laughable. Obama leads the overall race for the Democratic nomination with 1,631 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton has 1,501. Clinton almost certainly will end the primary season narrowly trailing Obama in the popular vote and among pledged delegates. Obama has said Clinton should stay in the race as long as she chooses while indicating a lengthy primary battle would not help the party's position in the general election. For those of you unfamiliar with 'doublespeak,' that was it. Obama has been picking up superdelegates at a rapid clip while Clinton's success with that group has slowed considerably. Maybe that explains why Obama doesn't have a problem with Clinton staying in the race--she's falling further behind the longer she stays in. I'm guessing that if she was picking up momentum, Barack would be singing a different tune.

NATO - President Bush left for his farewell NATO summit and a final heads-of-state meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin as he tries to salvage a foreign policy legacy frayed by the Iraq war. Good luck with that, Mr. President. Seeking to reassert himself on the world stage in the twilight of his term, Bush will press NATO for more troops in Afghanistan, try to keep up momentum in the alliance's eastward expansion and attempt to ease strains with Russia. Anyone want odds on how successful he might be. Let's start at 10 to 1. But with Bush even more unpopular overseas than at home, he could have a hard time swaying world leaders at this week's Bucharest summit as they look to whomever will succeed him in January 2009. Okay, maybe not high enough, how about 25 to 1? Lame-duck status will not be Bush's only obstacle as he ventures abroad for the first in a series of international conferences marking his final year in office. Right, I forgot about the lame-duck thing. Any takers at 50 to 1? Overhanging his travels will be the 5-year-old Iraq war, which has damaged America's credibility with friends and foes alike. The latest spike in fighting has increased doubts of further drawdowns of U.S. forces before Bush leaves office. 100 to 1? He will also be trailed by a financial crisis at home that has roiled global markets and sharpened criticism of his economic record, once seen as a bright spot of his legacy. Oh never mind.

Zimbabwe - Riot police in armored carriers deployed in two townships as suspicions grew that President Robert Mugabe was trying to rig Zimbabwe's most important election since independence. More than 48 hours after polls closed, only 66 of 210 parliamentary constituencies had been declared, showing the ruling party one seat ahead of the main opposition. Two of President Robert Mugabe's ministers lost their seats. No results have been announced for the presidential vote, in which Mugabe faces the most formidable political challenge of his 28 years in power. The opposition has accused the veteran leader of delaying the issuing of the results in a bid to steal the election, which Zimbabweans hoped would help rescue a country ravaged by an economic crisis. Seven European countries and the United States expressed concern over the delay, and called on Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission to quickly release the results, especially for the presidential election. I'm not so sure the United States is in the ideal position to criticize delayed election results. Does anyone remember the 2000 presidential election. That race had to go before the Supreme Court, and still the guy with fewer votes was declared the winner.

Peru - What is it about Peru and archaeological discoveries? A gold necklace found near Lake Titicaca in Peru dates back more than 4,000 years and is the oldest gold artifact found in the Americas. Radiocarbon dating of nearby material suggests the necklace, made of rolled tube-like beads, was made around 2100 BC. Researchers discovered the necklace next to an adult skull in a burial pit at Jiskairumoko, a hamlet settled by hunter-gatherers from 3300 to 1500 BC. So when you see knock offs at your neighborhood Cartier or Tiffany & Co., just remember where you heard about the original.

What Caught My Eye Today

Somalia - I don't want to throw you for a loop or anything, but this is actually good news. Polio has been officially wiped out in Somalia. Though torn by war and ravaged by poverty, the African nation has been polio-free for the last year, due in large part to a massive inoculation program administered by the World Health Organization. More than 10,000 volunteers helped vaccinated the population include a Somalian who, more than 30 years ago, was the last person in the world known to contract smallpox. I think it is important to celebrate accomplishments like this. In spite of all the anguish and suffering that this region of the world has had to endure, hope and the human spirit somehow manage to achieve great things.

Religion - The Vatican recently announced that Catholicism is no longer the world's largest religion. It said that Catholics accounted for 17.4% of the world population while Muslims were at 19.2%. By way of offering a possible explanation for this a Vatican spokesman said, "It is true that while Muslim families, as is well known, continue to make a lot of children, Christian ones on the contrary tend to have fewer and fewer." The figures on Muslims were put together by Muslim countries and then provided to the United Nations. The Vatican could only vouch for its own data. When considering all Christians and not just Catholics, Christians make up 33% of the world population. You would think that given the fact that Catholics advocate abstinence (or as I like to say, sheer dumb luck) as the only acceptable form of birth control, that the Catholic population would be bursting all over the place. Unless, and I hesitate to even suggest such a heretical thought, Catholics aren't actually relying solely on abstinence. I know, I know. Heaven forbid such a thought even enter my mind.

China - It would appear that Tibet is not the only region that China is accused of ruling with an iron fist. Far less attention is paid to the oppressed people who live just north of Tibet, in China's enormous Xinjiang province. They are the Uyghurs, a Muslim people who speak a Turkic language and are ethnically distinct from the Han Chinese. Twice in the last century, the Uyghurs had their own state, which they called East Turkestan. When the Communists took over China in 1949, Xinjiang was occupied and reabsorbed where it was used for nuclear testing up until the 1990s Not exactly the first method I would employ to get the native population to warm up to me, but then again, I'm not part of the Chinese government, so what do I know. Since then, China has snent millions of Han Chinese to settle there to overwhelm the native population--the same strategy it used in Tibet. Of course they did, seeing as they had so much success in Tibet. Why not try the same thing again. Uyghurs don't generate the sympathy that Tibetans do, in part because some radical Uyghurs responded to the Chinese influx by forming a militant separatist group. After September 11, the United States designated the group as terrorists and support for the Uyghur cause became a political non-starter. Hmm. a militant separatist group formed to fight back against an oppressive country trying to impose its will on the local population. Why does that sound so familiar? Gimme a second, it'll come to me...Oh that's right, we did the same thing in the United States about 240 years ago when the American colonies took up arms against the British, only we called ourselves something other than 'terrorists.' I believed the term we used was 'patriots.'

Potpourri - Here's a rather odd collection of items related to health care that I stumbled upon this past week that can best be described as 'so bizarre, they must be true.'

Pregnancy (Part I) - New mothers new expect an expensive "push present" from there husbands as compensation for the agony of childbirth. Inspired by lavish postpartum gifst of jewelry from celebrity dads like Ben Affleck and Pierce Brosnan, 55% of women say the deserve similar rewards from their husbands and the nation's high end retailers are scrambling to cash in on the trend. I'm speaking strictly for myself here, but if I have the choice between buying some bling and going through 18 hours of child labor, I'm going with the bling.

Pregnancy (Part II) - An Oregon man who used to be a woman revealed that he is pregnant. The man went through the early stages of a sex change but kept his female reproductive organs. When his wife found out she was infertile, he stopped taking male hormones and got pregnant. He is now 22 weeks along. Uh, yeah. Dude, I don't even know where to begin on this one. Perhaps I'll just wait for the Dateline NBC special to sort out all the details.

Medical Miracles - An Oklahoman man was declared brain-dead after an accident, but then began moving his foot and hand as doctors prepared to harvest his organs. He slowly regained consciousness and was sent home to continue his recovery. Tell me something--how is it that a misdiagnosis of this magnitude is possible? Don't medical professionals have a whole array of technological gizmos and gadgets to make sure things like this don't happen. One wonder when the doctors made this little discovery--before or after they cut open his chest?

College Basketball - History was made this weekend at the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. For the first time in the history of the tournament, the #1 seeds from all four regions made it to the Final Four. Which basically means that now instead of my brackets of just sucking, they've been completed annihilated.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - In 1993 the Kuwaiti government claimed that the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) had plotted to assassinate President George H. W. Bush during a trip to Kuwait. Little has been heard about the allegedly foiled assassination plot in the five years since the U.S. military invaded Iraq. Why you may ask. Keep on reading. The Pentagon's Joint Forces Command, combed through 600,000 pages of IIS documents seized after the fall of Baghdad along with thousands of hours of audio and videotapes of Saddan Hussein's conversations with his ministers and top aides. Researchers found no documents that referred to a plan to kill Bush. Imagine that. Evidence of the Bush plot was not the only thing the Pentagon researchers couldn't find. Oh really. There were also no records showing a "smoking gun" connection between Saddam's regime and Al Qaeda--one of the principal claims made by the White House to advance the case for war. Well there must be some mistake. I mean Vice President Dick Cheney said there was a connection, so there must have been. Seriously, who in their right mind would start a war without just provocation?

Zimbabwe - Zimbabweans voted today on whether to keep the ruler blamed by opponents for their country's economic collapse, though President Robert Mugabe's challengers claimed the election was rigged even before the polls opened. Getting a little ahead of yourselves aren't you? Let's say that you manage to beat Mugabe--are you suggesting that the only way that would be possible is because you rigged the election. Maybe, just maybe, you should wait for the results to come in before you start claiming the election was rigged. The election presented Mugabe with the toughest political challenge to his 28-year rule. Opposition leaders accuse Mugabe of dictatorship and destroying the economy. Mugabe calls his opponents stooges of former colonial ruler Britain and says the nation must make sacrifices to overcome its colonial legacy. Call me crazy, but doesn't Mugabe sort of remind you of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez?The economic collapse of Zimbabwe has dominated the campaign. The nation once fed itself and helped feed its neighbors, but now a third of its population depends on international food handouts and remittances from relatives abroad. Unemployment stands at 80% — the same percentage that survives on less than $1 a day. Inflation is the highest in the world at more than 100,000% (is it actually possible for inflation to be that high?) and people suffer crippling shortages of food, water, electricity, fuel and medicine. Coming back to these opposition leaders, you may have a point. I cannot see how any rational voter would possibly want the current regime to continue running the country into the ground. Still, you might want to wait for the results to come in before crying foul.

President Bush - Winding down his presidency, George W. Bush is beginning his farewell tour on the world stage trailed by questions about how much clout he still wields. Unpopular abroad, as he is at home, Bush nevertheless has been a commanding presence among world leaders for the past seven years. Now, with fewer than 300 days left in his term, other presidents and prime ministers are looking beyond Bush to see who will occupy his chair a year from now. Gee, I wonder why? Bush was so easy to get along with and who doesn't find it just adorable when he tries to pronounce words longer than two syllables or when he attempts to get jiggy with it in front of the cameras? Around the world, there are hopes the next president will adopt a different style from what critics have called Bush's cowboy diplomacy and go-it-alone foreign policy. They're all just jealous, pure and simple. Bush is da man. Anyone who says otherwise better watch out. We've gone 'shock and awe' on one country that dissed a president, and we're ready do it again. Well not really, but you get my point.

2008 Presidential Race - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Hillary Clinton can stay in the nominating race as long as she wants and expressed confidence that Democrats will coalesce around the winner despite the often bitter contest. Nice sound bite, Barack, but I don't recall Clinton asking for your opinion on the subject. Obama said the Democratic Party will need to move quickly and decisively to pick its nominee in early June when the state-by-state nominating contests are winding down, and turn its attention to taking on Republicans. No kidding, dillweed (I heard this one on a TV ad earlier this week and have been itching to use it ever since). To avoid risking a divided party ahead of the November election, Obama said both campaigns should avoid excessive tactics. "I do want to make sure that ... we show some restraint and that we are measured in how we present the contrasts between myself and Senator Clinton," he said. "And we've been very careful throughout this campaign not to say things that could be used as ammunition for the Republicans if Senator Clinton was the nominee." Too bad Hillary doesn't share your perspective on this.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Campaign - Following the antics of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is like watching wild animals eat their young. Hillary Clinton weathered a two-pronged blow today, with influential Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr. endorsing Barack Obama and another Senate colleague, Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, urging her to step aside. But to hear Clinton tell it, it was just another day in an epic primary battle whose result is still not known. "I believe a spirited contest is good for the Democratic Party and will strengthen the eventual nominee," she said. "We will have a united party behind whomever that nominee is." She believes this is a "spirited contest?" Those must be some seriously good rose colored glasses she has on. She trails Obama among pledged delegates and is not expected to close that gap even with a strong showing in the 10 remaining primaries. She also trails in the popular vote and probably cannot make up the deficit without revotes in Michigan and Florida. Clinton believes that 800 superdelegates will base their choice on which candidate would make the best president and would have the best chance to beat Republican John McCain in November. As well it should be. Though if Obama has the lead in both delegates and the popular vote, doesn't those two metrics point to him having the best chance to win in November? I'm curious as to what sort of math the Clinton camp is applying to come to its conclusions.

North Korea - North Korea test-fired a barrage of short-range missiles in apparent response to the new South Korean government's tougher stance on Pyongyang. The launches came as the North issued a stern rebuke to Washington over an impasse at nuclear disarmament talks, warning the Americans' attitude could "seriously" affect the continuing disablement of Pyongyang's atomic facilities. Being an "atheist state" I going to go out on a limb here and say that the concept of turning the over cheek doesn't mean much to the North Korean government. North Korea's "short-range guided missile" firing was believed to be aimed at testing and improving the missile's performance. The North regularly test fires missiles, and its long-range models are believed able to possibly reach as far as the western coast of the United States. The country conducted its first and only nuclear bomb test in October 2006, but it is not known to have a weapon design able to fit inside a missile warhead. North Korea shut down its sole operating nuclear reactor and has taken steps to disable its main atomic facilities under a landmark disarmament-for-aid deal reached last year with the United States and other regional powers. Lest you forgot, the reason North Korea agreed to shut down it's nuclear program in the first place was that it is in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Turns out a large segment of its population is essentially starving. But apparently the country has enough resources to test fire some missiles as it throws another hissy fit.

Sudan - Here's a scary thought... How many people have died in Darfur? Two years ago, the United Nations estimated 200,000. But the man who gave that figure now says it's far too low. Sudan has long said it's way too high. the former U.N. humanitarian chief said he has no doubt that tens of thousands more people have died since he made the 200,000 estimate in 2006. He went on to say only a large-scale mortality survey and access to areas where aid workers are unable to reach could provide an accurate death figure for the 5-year-old conflict. Sudan's government strongly disputes the figure of 200,000 deaths, contending the toll is a tiny fraction of that — less than 10,000. Some researchers and human rights advocates contend violence has persisted at the same level, or even worsened, since March 2005, meaning total deaths now could be as high as 400,000. Aid workers say Sudan's figure probably reflects people killed by bullets, but doesn't take into account all those who have died from hunger or disease tied to the upheaval of the conflict. Well that makes total sense. Dead should only apply to people who where actually shot. Those folks that...well, let me see--I can't say they're dead, can I? Ah yes, here we go. Those folks that shuffled off this mortal coil are just statistical anomalies.

NATO- President Bush says he "strongly supports" Croatian membership in NATO, but has declined to say if the former Yugoslav country will be invited to join the alliance at a summit next week. In comments focusing on the Balkans, the president also said that recognizing Kosovo's independence was "best" for the troubled region and expressed hopes that Serbia will in the end help its former province to succeed. I sometimes wonder if Bush cares about the well being of NATO or if he just relishes the opportunity to piss Russia off.

Speaking of Russia...

Russia warned NATO against expansion into ex-Soviet neighbors Georgia and Ukraine ahead of a NATO summit next week that will discuss what Moscow sees as deep encroachment into its backyard. Russia's Foreign Minister said possible NATO membership for the two countries would have repercussions for any plans to improve Moscow's ties with the Western military alliance. Georgia, whose pro-Western leaders want to move out of Moscow's orbit, is seeking membership in NATO and the European Union. Ukraine also hopes the NATO summit in Bucharest next week will grant it a roadmap towards joining the alliance. The United States is backing both bids. Big surprise there. But France, Germany and some other European nations say the move would be untimely. Maybe that's because these countries understand that the world doesn't just consist of the United States and then 'all those other petty countries.'

Canada - Vessels pursuing seals maneuvered through heavy ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Friday at the start of the largest marine mammal hunt in the world. This year's total allowable catch has been set at 275,000 seals, up from 270,000 last year. Animal rights groups say the seal hunt is cruel, difficult to monitor and ravages the seal population. Sealers and the fisheries department defend the hunt as sustainable, humane and well-managed, and say it provides supplemental income for isolated fishing communities that have been hurt by the decline in cod stocks. This year, hunters will take an extra step to make sure the seals are dead before skinning them. You mean they weren't required to do so before? Maybe those animal rights activists have a point. Hunters will be required to sever the arteries under a seal's flippers, a recommendation made in a European Union report released in December. Fishermen sell seal pelts mostly to the fashion industry in Norway, Russia and China, as well as blubber for oil, earning about $78 for each seal. The 2006 hunt brought in about $25 million. The fisheries department estimated the total harp seal population to be 5.9 million in 2004, the last time it conducted a survey. The government says there were about 1.8 million seals in the 1970s, and the population rebounded after Canada started managing the hunts. I broke out my trusty calculator and figured that the quota this year amounts to just over 4.6% of the seal population. When you look at it from this perspective, this hunt doesn't sound so bad. Be that as it may, skinning seals while they are still alive--that's just cruel.

What Caught My Eye Today

U.S. Military - Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a full inventory of all nuclear weapons and related materials after the mistaken delivery of ballistic missile fuses to Taiwan. Earlier this week, Gates ordered a full investigation of the delivery mistake in which four cone-shaped electrical fuses used in intercontinental ballistic missile warheads were shipped to the Taiwanese instead of the helicopter batteries they had ordered. Come now, aren't we overreacting just a tad bit? Surely there must be some resemblance between nuclear warhead fuses and helicopter batteries. It was the second nuclear-related mistake involving the military that has been revealed in recent months. In August an Air Force B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. At the time, the pilot and crew were unaware they had nuclear arms aboard. Yes, I'm quite sure they were under the impression that they were transporting helicopter batteries. While the shipment did not contain nuclear materials, the error is particularly sensitive because China vehemently opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. U.S. officials were quick to say that the incident did not suggest any change in policies toward Taiwan arms sales. Well yeah. Unless I'm very much mistaken, we plan to continue to sell arms to Taiwan despite the protests from China. And if, from time to time, we inadvertently send the wrong stuff to Taiwan, we'll rectify the error, eventually.

Iraq - The State Department has instructed all personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad not to leave reinforced structures due to incoming insurgent rocket fire that has killed two American government workers this week. The department says employees are required to wear helmets, body armor and other protective gear if they must venture outside and strongly advises them to sleep in blast-resistant locations instead of the less secure trailers that most occupy. Ah yes, where to begin on this one. First of all, if I'm working in the Green Zone and have first hand knowledge of the situation, I'm not sure I need a State Department memo to state the obvious. Hell no, I'm not going outside where rockets are exploding all over the place, but thanks for the tip anyway. As for sleep. Tell me, who is likely to be sleeping with all the racket? Honestly.

2008 Presidential Race - Somebody forgot to tell Hillary Clinton the Democratic presidential race is over and Barack Obama won. Her and the rest of the country. Obama has captured more state contests, more votes and more of the pledged convention delegates who will help decide which Democrat faces Republican John McCain in November's presidential election. But neither candidate is on track to win the 2,024 delegates needed to clinch the nomination -- making superdelegates the ultimate kingmakers. Like I said, I don't think the race is over just yet. I wish it was, but it's not. With 10 nominating contests remaining, Clinton lags Obama by more than 100 in the count of pledged delegates won in the state-by-state voting since January and has little chance of catching Obama. By the last nominating contests on June 3 in Montana and South Dakota, Obama says, he will have won the most votes and delegates. Well if that's the case, then the Democratic presidential race will be over...in June, not now. Why do these guys make things so complicated? I didn't vote for Hillary, but I do agree with her that all the states should have the opportunity to be heard. That being said, if the roles were reversed, do you think she would be taking kindly to Barack staying in race being as far behind as she is?

Tibet - The stage-managed tour of Tibet's holiest temple in the capital city of Lhasa was going according to the government script. Suddenly, 30 young Buddhist monks pushed their way in, slammed the door, and began shouting and crying to the foreign reporters that there was no freedom in the riot-torn region. I'm betting that wasn't in the script. The emotional, 15-minute outburst by the red-robed monks decrying their lack of religious freedom was the only spontaneous moment in an otherwise tightly controlled government trip to the Tibetan capital for foreign reporters following this month's deadly riots. Even as China seeks to show that Lhasa's protests have subsided and worldwide concern should not affect the Beijing Olympics, the government seems to be rejecting appeals for impartial outside observers and relying on old methods that have inflamed Tibetan anger. The protests and rioting in Lhasa touched off widespread demonstrations in Tibetan communities in other parts of Tibet and across western China — the broadest challenge to Chinese rule since the failed 1959 uprising that sent the Dalai Lama into exile. Forgive my ignorance in this area, but what exactly is it about Tibet that China finds so appealing to go through all this trouble to keep this region under its control. I here there are some beautiful monasteries and a couple of mountain peaks that may attract some adrenaline junkies, but certainly neither can be that valuable to make up for the political headache that Tibet has become for China. And another thing. I'm not advocating this as a potential course of action, but wouldn't it have been so much easier for China to leave Tibet alone until after the Olympics? What's the rush?

American Idol - Picking the bottom three on this show is like trying to pick this years Final Four. There's just no rhyme or reason to what is transpiring this season. Sure, you can chalk it up to the fact that I managed to only pick one of the bottom three this week (poor Chikezie), but seriously, who in their right mind can honestly say that Sayesha and Jason (dreadlock boy) were worse than Kristy Lee and Ramiele? If this was an actually talent competition--which it clearly isn't--the final 9 contestants wouldn't include either of these talented--but not that talented--young women.

What Caught My Eye Today

U.S. Military - Behind the Pentagon's closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President Bush they are worried about the Iraq war's mounting strain on troops and their families. I don't want to go off on a rant, but the President needed the Joint Chiefs of Staff to tell him what he can read in any newspaper? Good gravy! The chiefs' concern is that U.S. forces are being worn thin, compromising the Pentagon's ability to handle crises elsewhere in the world. The session was arranged by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to provide Bush an additional set of military views as he prepares to decide how to proceed in Iraq once his troop buildup, which began in 2007, runs its course by July. You know this is a pretty big step in the evolution of the President. If Rumsfeld was still Defense Secretary there's no way this meeting ever takes place. The Joint Chiefs are particularly concerned about Afghanistan and an increasingly active Taliban insurgency. The United States has about 31,000 troops in Afghanistan and 156,000 in Iraq. U.S. forces in Iraq peaked at 20 brigades last year and are to be cut to 15 brigades, with a total of about 140,000 combat and support troops, by the end of July. A key question facing Bush is whether security conditions will have improved sufficiently by then to justify more reductions. Based on the increase in violence in both Iraq and Afghanistan, I'm not so sure that pausing the troop draw down is a question as it is a foregone conclusion.

China - President Bush sharply confronted China's President Hu Jintao about Beijing's harsh crackdown in Tibet, joining an international chorus of alarm just months before the U.S. and the rest of the world parade to China for the Olympics. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear President Hu shaking in his boots. After days of silence by Bush as other world leaders raised their voices, it marked a rare, direct protest from one president to another. At the same time, Bush was forced to address an embarrassing blunder by the United States — the shipment of nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan and the failure to discover the error for more than 18 months. No need to ask, I got a wiretap on this conversation. Here are the highlights:

Bush: Knock, knock.
Hu: Who's there?
Bush: Hu.
Hu: Hu who?
Bush: Who-who? Son, you talk like a baby. Get it? Who-who.
Hu: Yes, very amusing. (You infantile baboon)
Bush: Yeah, so anyway, Hu, this Tibet thing is making for some bad press.
Hu: It is an internal matter, Mr. President. And rest assured we'll handle it.
Bush: Well see, that's the thing. First Taiwan and now Tibet. People are getting the impression that the Chinese are becoming more aggressive. That's bad for business, Hu. We need to all get along. Can't you guys back off a bit?
Hu: I'm sure you can appreciate that China is only protecting its interests. Any country including yours, Mr. President, would do the same thing. In fact you have.
Bush: Say what?
Hu: Need I remind you of those nuclear fuses that your country sent to Taiwan? What do you have to say for yourself?
Bush: Yeah, well, uh. Shoot, the other line is ringing. See you in Beijing.

Space Shuttle - Shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven streaked toward Earth on Wednesday, aiming for a rare nighttime touchdown to wrap up "a two-week adventure" at the international space station. Less than one-fifth of all shuttle flights have ended in darkness. The last time a shuttle landed at nighttime was in 2006. In the end, the multinational crew accomplished everything they set out to do during their voyage, which spanned 16 days and 6.5 million miles. The astronauts installed the first piece of Japan's Kibo lab, put together a giant Canadian robot named Dextre, tested a shuttle repair technique and more. The space station is now 70% complete, thanks to the latest additions, with a mass of nearly 600,000 pounds. Ten more shuttle flights to the space station — spread over the next two years — will round out the numbers. NASA hopes to have its share of the orbiting outpost finished in 2010 and its three shuttles retired, so it can focus on human expeditions to the moon. I for one, will be thrilled to see this project completed. Lord knows that NASA can use some positive press. As for this man on the moon deal. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we 'been there and done that?' I'm a pretty big fan of space exploration, and even I cannot figure this one out.

Liquor - A rattlesnake rancher who calls himself Bayou Bob found a new way to make money: Stick a rattler inside a bottle of vodka and market the concoction as an "ancient Asian elixir." But Bayou Bob's bright idea appears to have landed him on the wrong side of the law, because he has no liquor license. Yes, that's what's wrong with this story--dude, doesn't have a liquor license. Bayou Bob said his intent is not to sell an alcoholic beverage but a healing tonic. He said he has customers of Asian descent who believe the concoction has medicinal properties. Is that the story you're sticking with? Good luck with that, Bayou Bob. Read on, this gets better. Bayou Bob said he uses the cheapest vodka he can find as a preservative for the snakes. The end result is a super sweet mixed drink that Boh compared to cough syrup. "I've honestly never seen a person drink it," he said. An Asian studies lecturer at the University of Texas said there is some merit to his claim that snake vodka could be seen as a tonic. There's a street nicknamed "Snake Alley" in Taipei, Taiwan, where street vendors put the gall bladder of a freshly killed snake into a glass of strong liquor. The drink, sold to the highest bidder, is supposed to improve eyesight and sexual performance. I'm probably nit-picking here, but if this is supposed to be a tonic that you drink, and dude has never seen anyone drink the stuff that he produces, isn't there a flaw in someone's logic. Logic? That's a good one. Drinking pickled snake to ratchet up your sex life a couple of notches. Me? Yeah, I'm sticking with Viagara.

American Idol - Prediction time. Last night's performance made up for last week's disappointment, making my bottom 3 a lot harder to pick. I'll start with the best performances of the evening. Michael Johns and David Cook rocked the house. Johns hit another winner with Queen's 'We are the Champions' while Cook went to town and back on his interpretation of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. As for the bottom three, David Archuleta should be in the bottom three, but he won't be--don't ask me why. Sayesha shouldn't be in the bottom three, but probably will be. As for my final two picks, I'll go with Ramiele and Chikezie. Kristy Lee Cook has burned me twice and with her performance of 'God Bless the USA', she'll get another undeserved pass into the next round. And the loser will be...Ramiele...maybe.

What Caught My Eye Today

Taiwan - The U.S. military mistakenly shipped four fuses for nuclear missiles to Taiwan in 2006 and never caught the error, the Pentagon said, acknowledging an incident likely to rile China. Do you think? The military was supposed to ship helicopter batteries to Taiwan, but instead sent fuses used as part of the trigger mechanism on Minuteman missiles. Wait, it gets better. The problem went unnoticed until Taiwan realized it did not have the helicopter batteries it ordered and reported the issue to the United States. I'm curious as to what the Taiwanese military thought it had. And don't even get me started on why it took so long to figure this out. The erroneous fuse shipment was the Pentagon's second embarrassing misplacement of nuclear or nuclear-related equipment announced in recent months. An Air Force bomber mistakenly carried nuclear warheads over the United States in August 2007. And finally, one last factoid that I'm sure will allow all of us to sleep better tonight. The Defense Department has ordered the Navy and Air Force to take inventory of all nuclear and nuclear-associated equipment and material. So does this mean we don't know where all the components of our nuclear arsenal are? Or maybe, we think we do and we're just making sure. Either way, this latest series of events doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the Defense Department does it.

It would appear that the U.S. military isn't the only government agency having a bad day.

Belarus - Belarus said it had uncovered a spy ring working for Washington, deepening a diplomatic and human rights row between the countries. Belarus's intelligence service, still known by its Soviet-era initials KGB, said a spy ring of Belarussian citizens had been uncovered in the country of 10 million. Tightly controlled state television reported at the weekend that a spying network of 10 Belarussian nationals had been exposed, but gave no details of concrete charges against them. Is that, perhaps, because Belarus is making up the charges as they go? The report showed people described as embassy employees working as informers for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Some told an interviewer they were gathering information to prevent terrorism. Here's my dilemma. On one hand we have a government that recently kick out our ambassador and generally doesn't hold the United States in high regards. So it isn't outside the realm of possibility that they are making this thing up just to piss us off. On the other hand, it isn't much of a stretch of the imagination that the U.S. was snooping around and got caught with its hand in the cookie jar.

France - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that he cannot rule out the possibility he might boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics if China continues its crackdown in Tibet. An official from France's state television company said the broadcaster would likely boycott the games if coverage was censored. Is it just me, or does it strike you as odd that a television network is acting as the mouthpiece of a country? Can you imagine the day when PBS becomes the voice of the United States? Me neither. Meanwhile, the European Union, United States, Australia and Canada urged China to show restraint as it tries to quell continuing unrest in its Tibetan areas. Violent protests in Tibet, the most serious challenge in almost two decades to China's rule in the region, are forcing human rights campaigners to re-examine their approach to the Summer Olympic Games in August. Chinese officials say at least 22 people have died in Lhasa (the capital of Tibet), while Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans were killed. I'm sorry, but did I hear this correctly. France is taking the lead role in an international brouhaha? It's a world gone mad, I tell you.

Antarctica - A chunk of Antarctic ice about seven times the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed, putting an even greater portion of glacial ice at risk. That sounds bad. Satellite images show the runaway disintegration of a 160-square-mile chunk in western Antarctica. It was the edge of the Wilkins ice shelf and has been there for hundreds, maybe 1,500 years. While icebergs naturally break away from the mainland, collapses like this are unusual but are happening more frequently in recent decades. The rest of the Wilkins ice shelf, which is about the size of Connecticut, is holding on by a narrow beam of thin ice. Scientists worry that it too may collapse. Larger, more dramatic ice collapses occurred in 2002 and 1995. Scientists said they are not concerned about a rise in sea level from the latest event, but say it's a sign of worsening global warming. I know that it goes without saying that global warming is pretty much a bad thing. What isn't so clear is what the danger is related to this ice collapse. Seriously, you can make anything sound good or bad, depending on your perspective. I'm just curious as to what the particular imminent danger is this time.

Comoros - Yet another in our ongoing series on countries no one has ever heard of. Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa between northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. The Comoros government captured the capital of the rebel-held island of Anjouan, just hours after an African Union-backed military operation got under way to oust a renegade colonel who took power in May. The Comoros, an archipelago of three main islands 250 miles off Africa's southeast coast with a population of about 750,000, has been caught up in a series of coups and political upheavals since gaining independence from France in 1975. The latest came when Colonel Mohamed Bacar - a former president of the country - took over Anjouan island, drawing increasingly strident warnings from the central government. You may be asking what the big deal is here. Here's the part that I found, for want of a better term, amusing. At least 80 AU troops from Tanzania were among the landing force who apparently arrived aboard four ships that cruised earlier in the day along the coast toward the island's airport and seaport. An invasion of 80 troops? And they won? I don't know who this Colonel Bacar is, but I'm guessing that he isn't what one might consider a military genius. Here these guys are floating around in broad daylight--presumably deciding against the element of surprise--and this moron still loses? Sad, very sad indeed.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Fresh off his eighth Iraq visit, Sen. John McCain declared that "we are succeeding" and said he wouldn't change course — even as the U.S. death toll rose to 4,000 and the war entered its sixth year. I suppose the concept of success is rather subjective depending on your viewpoint, but I have to ask, in what universe would 4,000 deaths and a war with no end in sight, be considered a success? In the midst of a western fundraising swing after a week abroad, including visits to Iraq, the Middle East and Europe, the Arizona senator didn't mention the grim casualty milestone or the last weeks fifth anniversary of the conflict. Also left unsaid during the event was the fact that 2007 was the war's deadliest year with 901 American troop deaths. That was when Bush took McCain's advice and sent thousands more U.S. troops to Iraq to quell violence in Baghdad. Funny how talk of casualties in an unpopular war can put the damper on fundraising. Asked later if he was offering the war-weary public any different path forward in Iraq than Bush, McCain reached back to the past. "I'm offering them the record of having objected strenuously to a failed strategy for nearly four years. That I argued against and fought against and said that the secretary of defense of my own party, and my own president, I had no confidence in. That's how far I went in advocating the new strategy that is succeeding." Translation: "When the war was going bad, it was the President's fault. Now that it isn't, I'm the reason why." Of course, That doesn't actually address the issue that no one wants the war to continue, even if it is succeeding, but since when has a politician ever actually answered the question that was asked?

Olympics - Even before the Olympic flame was lit today in Ancient Olympia, Greece, a protester of China's human rights policies disrupted the solemn ceremony, foreshadowing the prospect of demonstrations throughout the 85,000-mile torch-relay route right up to the Beijing Games themselves. Three men advocating press freedom evaded massive security and ran onto the field at the ceremony in Ancient Olympia before they were seized by police. Minutes later, a Tibetan woman covered in fake blood briefly blocked the path of the torch relay. Protests are bound to follow the torch throughout its 136-day route across five continents and 20 countries. So it would seem. China pledged strict security measures to ensure its segment of the relay won't be marred by protests. I'm inclined to believe that they'll do what they say. China has promised a smooth run-up to the Summer Games and is hoping a successful games will bolster its international image. I wonder what the Chinese define 'a smooth run-up' to mean? As far as I can tell, this isn't exactly the smoothest start to the Olympic torch relay.

Food Prices - Consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India. The world's poorest nations still harbor the greatest hunger risk. Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month. Among the driving forces are petroleum prices, which increase the cost of everything from fertilizers to transport to food processing. Rising demand for meat and dairy in rapidly developing countries such as China and India is sending up the cost of grain, used for cattle feed, as is the demand for raw materials to make biofuels. As of December, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had imposed some sort of food-price controls. If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you probably know my reaction to all this. But for the 99% of you who aren't, I tell you. It's those darned ethanol lobbyists in Iowa. Somehow, a handful of corn growers in the middle of nowhere are managing to screw up the global food supply. Oh sure, the Chinese are probably culpable as well, but they are having enough problems with this whole Olympics deal, so we'll just have to blame it on the lobbyists.

Sports - Here's a whirlwind tour of the happenings in the world of sport over the weekend.

Golf - Tiger Woods did not win for the first time in 6 months. Despite shooting a 4-under 68 in the final round of the WGC CA Championships at Doral, Woods managed only a fifth place finish, two shots behind Geoff Ogilvy who carded a 17 under, 271. Who else besides Tiger would be thought of as slumping with a fifth place finish.

Soccer - The U.S. men's soccer team lost 1-0 to Honduras in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship game. On the bright side, both teams qualified just by making the finals. However, I don't know that I'd be betting on the U.S. making it to the medal round in Beijing.

College Basketball - Let me put it this way. My March Madness brackets started off with a St. Patrick's Day theme (mostly green), then as the first round progressed, we shifted to more of a Christmas motif. By the end of the second round, I was pretty much sporting a Valentine's Day color palette (mostly red). My record going into the Sweet 16 is 34 out of 48 (good enough for the 86th percentile). And I suppose I can take some pride in the fact that my Final Four is still intact (UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas and Texas).

What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's Note: Seeing as it is a holiday, I thought in keeping with the spirit of the day that I'd give you a break from the headlines that have been dominating the scene for the past several weeks. So in today's edition you will see nothing on the economy, the 2008 presidential race, or the Iraq war.

Easter - If you are like me in thinking, "Man, it's Easter already," you are not alone. Easter has not fallen on the earliest of the 35 possible dates, March 22, since 1818, and will not do so again until 2285. It will not fall on March 23 in 2008 again until 2160. Easter last fell on the latest possible date, April 25, in 1943 and will next fall on that date in 2038. The cycle of Easter dates repeats after exactly 5,700,000 years, with April 19 being the most common date, happening 220,400 times. No need to thank me. Just knowing that you will be greeted by stares of amazement at the dinner table as you dazzle your friends and family with your knowledge of Easter dates is plenty of thanks.

Bhutan - Geography lesson #1: Bhutan is a landlocked nation in the Himalaya Mountains, sandwiched between India and Tibet in South Asia. The command came from the king,the Precious Ruler of the Dragon People: "The age of monarchs is ending, he said, and power should be yours." That was a little over two years ago. Much of the country remains unconvinced there should even be a vote. Heck, I sometimes feel the same way. What most people want is what they've always had: a powerful king. By monarchy's standards, Bhutan's royal family is fairly new, coming to power in 1907 and bringing stability to a little-known region isolated by harsh mountainous geography and riven by unrest and war. Change came slowly, from the elimination of serfdom in the 1950s to the last king passing some power to an elected assembly and advisory council in the late 1990s — while remaining firmly at the center of government. Monday's elections will change that, leaving the monarch with the power to make top appointments, though only in consultation with elected officials, and a parliament empowered to impeach him. What catches my attention is that this movement has almost single-handedly been driven by the monarchy itself. I'm not sure I remember any other occasion when a ruling family when to such great lengths to put itself out of a job.

Gabon - Geography Lesson #2: Gabon is a country in west central Africa. Omar Bongo may be short in stature, but he is larger than life in the oil-rich Central African nation he has ruled for 40 years — so long that he's the only president most of his subdued 1.5 million people (life expectancy, 53) have ever known. Bongo became the longest-ruling head of state, not counting the monarchs of Britain and Thailand, after Fidel Castro resigned last month, ending 49 years in power. While most Gabonese genuinely fear the 72-year-old autocrat and there is little opposition, many accept his rule because he has kept his country remarkably peaceful and governed without the sustained brutality characteristic of many dictators. Gabon in first place among countries in mainland sub-Saharan Africa on the U.N. Human Development Index, which measures literacy, education and other markers of national well-being, ahead of Africa's richest economy, South Africa, and its most respected democracy, Botswana. But Gabon's wealth depends on dwindling oil reserves. Gabon once boasted world's highest champagne consumption per capita, but with oil reserves due to run dry by 2030 and production down by 30 percent in the last decade to 250,000 barrels per day, the party is largely over. Meanwhile, about 90% of the country's income goes to the richest 20% the population, while the bottom 30% lives on less than $1 a day. I'm not sure which surprises me more, that 30% of the population lives on a few cents per day or that Gabon had the highest champagne consumption. I'm gonna have to go with the latter on this one. And speaking of surprising, here's one more little nugget. Libreville, the capital, is the world's eighth most expensive city, according to Employment Conditions Abroad International. Some of the cities that rank higher than Libreville are kind of surprising as well. #1 Luanda, Angola; #2 Oslo, Norway; #3 Moscow, Russia, #4 Stavanger, Norway; #5 Copenhagen, Denmark; #6 Kinshasa, Congo and; #7 Seoul, South Korea. The United States didn't crack the top 20.

Auctions - Value is a fascinating concept driven almost entirely by subjective opinion. In this next story, one can only assume the value place on this particular item was based on the opinion of a complete whack job. Two sisters from Virginia sold their Illinois-shaped corn flake on eBay for $1,350. The winner of the auction, which lasted more than a week, is the owner of a trivia Web site who wants to add the corn flake to a traveling museum. The winner said he will likely send someone to Virginia to pick up the flake by hand, so it won't be damaged. This isn't the first corn flake that he has tried to buy. I rest my case. He said he purchased a flake billed as the world's largest, but that by the time it was delivered it had crumbled into three pieces. Maybe next time this guy is looking to unload $1,350 he might want to consider dropping it on some psychiatric consultation.

What Caught My Eye Today

Belgium - Belgium ended months of political crisis this week when five parties agreed to join together in a coalition government. Wouldn't it be nice if our two parties could do the same from time to time. Many observers feared the country would break in two. Parliamentary elections last June gave a plurality to a Flemish party, but it was unable to find enough partners to form a majority government. After six months of stalemate, the king appointed an interim government. Now three months later, the parties have finally agreed to share power. Things could always be worse, you know. Look at Italy. Those poor slobs have to form a new government almost every year. However, the future doesn't look very promising for Belgium. I'd hold off on getting that new world atlas if I were you. It appears likely that the political boundaries of Europe are going to change again in the not to distant future.

France - Faced with a growing global demand for bubbly, French wine authorities expanded the region in which vineyards can legally label their product as Champagne. For 90 years, the Champagne region has covered just 319 districts (about 76,000 acres); the Bourdeaux region is nearly four times larger. Now, vintners in an additional 38 districts will be allowed to sell their sparkling wine as Champagne. In a Champagne-producing district, land is worth well over half a million dollars an acre. In a neighboring region producing a different wine, land brings just $3,000 an acre. I suppose you can take your pick of real estate catchphrases on this story. Two come to mind--"Location, location, location," and "being on the right side of the tracks." As for the increased production, one hopes that these guys weighed the pros and cons of expanding the wine making region to satisfy demand against the risks of possibly diluting the quality of the product.

Italy - The more I read about these folks, the more I like them. Italy's highest court ruled that Italians cannot be punished for lying to police about their love affairs. The court ruled that denying an affair is a matter of self-protection (no argument here.), and falls under the law that says Italians cannot be forced to incriminate themselves. "Having a lover is a circumstance that damages the honor of a person," the court ruled, so it is every Italian's right to hide that circumstance. I know a certain former governor of New York and probably a lot of members of Congress that wouldn't mind having that law on the books here in the United States.

Vocabulary - As a self-proclaimed space junkie, you might think that I would be reluctant to poke fun at NASA. And you would be wrong. Here is a collection of phrases that NASA has used to make itself sound like, well, a bunch of rocket scientists

• Scientists examining images sent from the Mars Odyssey noted a possible cave skylight on the surface of the planet.
  Translation: They found a hole in ground
• A report on Endeavour's 13th launch explains that the flight crew ingressed into the orbitor.
  Translation: They went into it.
• In the 1980s, engineers were tasked with building a cell electronic unit cooling subassembly.
  Translation: They built a fan.
• In a 2007 report, NASA administrator warned against too many desirements in the Constellation program.
  Translation: Stuff they like but don't need.
• After ingesting powdered chili, astronauts often utilize the Shuttle waste contamination system.
  Translation: They use the toilet.

So there you have it. You too can sound like a pompous ass for the low price of a thesaurus.

Basketball - Round 2 of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is starting off pretty much the same way that Round 1 ended--by decimating what's left of my brackets. The latest victim was #2 seed Duke getting ousted by #7 West Virginia. After starting on with 15 correct picks on Day 1, I have gone 8 for 17 since. On the bright side, I checked both ESPN and Yahoo Sports and found that no one managed to pick the correct outcomes for the first round.

Public Service Announcement - In this edition, we focus our attention on anti-social networking sites for those of us who have no friends willing to say nice things about us on our Facebook.com pages.

Enemybook.info models itself after the age-old saying, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Just as you might classify friends on Facebook, you can specify why certain people are your enemies and see who considers you an adversary. This is cool. Rather than looking introspectively to see if I really am a jerk, I can continue the way that I am and assume everyone around me is an enemy.

Hatebook.com looks similar to Facebook, but it takes a "less friendly approach" to online socializing. The site is an "open forum for abuse and aggression" that lets you befriend "other haters," track enemies with an "Evil Map," and stay posted on the activity of "Other fricking idiots." Here's another gem. After all, who among us isn't sick and tired of all that love and compassion in the world. What we need is more hate and contempt.

Snubster.com lets you build "personal lists of enemies" from your Facebook contacts. You send snubs to foes, informing them that they are either "on notice" or "dead to me." This too will come in handy. Ever since I graduated from high school the opportunities for acting like an immature little twit have been few and far between. Now I can relive the glory days of high school.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Two items of note today. The passport files of the three presidential candidates — Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain — have been breached, the State Department said. A State Department spokesman said the breaches of McCain and Clinton's passport files were not discovered until today, after officials were made aware of the privacy violation regarding Obama's records a day earlier and a separate search was conducted. Aside from the file, the information could allow critics to dig deeper into the candidates' private lives. While the file includes date and place of birth, address at time of application and the countries the person has traveled to, the most important detail would be their Social Security number, which can be used to pull credit reports and other personal information. While this invasion of privacy is completely inexcusable, I question how much harm was really done here. Think about it. How long have these candidates been going at it? I have to believe that the press has had ample opportunity to 'vet' the candidates.

Next up, some good news for Barack Obama.

Bill Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, threw his support behind Barack Obama for president, delivering one of the most coveted and tightly held endorsements in the race for the Democratic nomination. As a Democratic superdelegate, the governor plays a part in the tight race for nominating votes and could bring other superdelegates to Obama's side. He also had been mentioned as a potential running mate for either candidate. Richardson praised Hillary Clinton as a "distinguished leader with vast experience." But the governor said Obama "will be a historic and great president, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad." The Clinton campaign was publicly dismissive of the endorsement, after the New York senator failed to win it for herself. No sour grapes on the part of the Clinton campaign, wouldn't you say. Both of these stories say the same thing to me. This campaign season is way too long. With 6 weeks between primaries, any little tidbit manages to make the headlines, because there is nothing of actual significance to report on.

France - President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a modest cut in France's nuclear arsenal, to fewer than 300 warheads, and urged China and the United States to commit to no more weapons tests. Sarkozy said atomic weapons would remain a vital component of its defenses to deter potential attackers. He did not say how many warheads France currently has, and the Defense Ministry said that information is a state secret. The Federation of American Scientists, which tracks nuclear arsenals around the globe, said in a status report for 2008 that France had 348 warheads. More than half of France's nuclear weapons are believed to aboard submarines, with the rest on warplanes. We may only be talking about 48 nukes going the way of the do-do bird, but any reduction in nuclear arms regardless of the amount has to be a good thing, doesn't it?

Dalai Lama - Walking arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama, U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi lent her support Friday to the Tibetan cause, calling China's crackdown in Tibet "a challenge to the conscience of the world." Pelosi, a Democrat from California, called for an international investigation into the violence in Tibet and dismissed China's claim that the Dalai Lama was behind the unrest as making "no sense." As to the first point calling for an international investigation--yeah, that'll happen...right after pigs start flying out of my butt. And when it comes to claims that make "no sense," even if Pelosi's allegations are true, its not like she can speak from a position of authority. Last I heard, there still was no sign of weapons of mass destruction anywhere in Iraq.

Liberia - Liberia is conducting its first census since 1984, after years of civil war, and a public holiday has been declared. Public advertisements and pop songs have been reminding people to stay at home to be counted, while dispelling fears that the census would mean extra taxes. Seriously, they enlisted a local pop star to record a song. Have a listen. Government officials hope the census will provide accurate statistics, vital for development planning. Constitutionally a census should be held every 10 years. Last year, the UN estimated the population was about 3.8 million. Census workers have already discovered that numerous villages that existed on the 1984 map are now deserted because of the war. Around 250,000 people were killed in Liberia's civil war and many thousands more fled the fighting. The UN maintains some 15,000 peacekeepers in Liberia. Frankly, I'm not surprised at the skepticism of the natives. If I was making a buck twenty-five a day (that's $1.25 or the equivalent of a cup of drip coffee at Starbucks), I'd be a bit wary of the government's motives as well.

Philippines - Be forewarned that those with queasy stomachs may want to skip this item. Philippine devotees re-enacted Jesus Christ's suffering by having themselves nailed to crosses in rites frowned upon by church leaders in Asia's largest predominantly Roman Catholic nation. Some 35 men and women were scheduled to go through the Good Friday rites in villages throughout the country. I have to admit that I limit my penitence to the confessional--must be that low tolerance for pain that I have. The yearly tradition has become a tourist attraction which sometimes draws thousands of local and foreign tourists. Again, call me crazy, but when I think tourist attraction, visions of Disneyland come to mind rather than re-enactments of crucifixions.

Soccer - Somebody out there may find this interesting. Freddy Adu scored a pair of goals and sent the United States back to the Olympics in the process. Adu staked the U.S. to an early lead and sparked a 3-0 victory over Canada on Thursday in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. The Group A-winning Americans (3-0-1) earned an automatic berth in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with the victory. Joining the United States in Beijing will be Honduras, which won Thursday’s first semifinal against Guatemala, 6-5, on penalty kicks. Honduras will play the U.S. on Sunday in the final. The Americans won the first meeting, 1-0. Or perhaps not. Still the Yanks made it to the Olympics in soccer. That's got to be worth something.

Cycling - Here's an update on the cycling world's version of a soap opera--otherwise known as the Tour de France. Astana, the team of defending champion Alberto Contador, was among those not invited to compete in the Tour de France. The Amaury Sport Organization announced the 20 teams invited to the premier race. Last month, ASO excluded Astana from its races this year because of doping violations in the last two years. As a result, the Tour de France in July will start without Contador. The 19 other teams for the event are: Gerolsteiner, Team Milram, Quick Step, Silence-Lotto, Team CSC, Caisse dEpargne, Euskatel-Euskadi, Saunier Duval-Scott, High Road, Slipstream Chipotle, Bouygues Telecom, Credit Agricole, Cofidis, Francaise Des Jeux, AG2R-La Mondiale, Agritubel, Barloworld, Lampre and Liquigas. So much for Levi Leipheimer's chances of participating in this year's premier cycling event.

Golf - Geoff Ogilvy was bogey-free over two days at Doral to remain atop the leaderboard (12-under) at the CA Championship one shot ahead of Tiger Woods. Woods is the three-time defending champion of this tournament and on this course, and he is paying attention more to his swing than his streak, which is at five on the PGA Tour and six worldwide. Imagine how Tiger would be doing if he wasn't using this event as practice for the Masters. Kind of scary, ain't it?

Basketball - Pessimists would say that I jinxed myself by revelling in my 15 correct picks out of 16 on the opening day of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships. Optimists would say that that I was celebrating a run of good luck. The egotist in me agrees with the optimists. At the risk of stating the obvious, karma is paying me back big time in the second day of Round 1 contests. Halfway through today's matchups I'm 4 out of 8. Seriously, how many people would have picked #13 San Diego to beat #4 Connecticut? It's madness, I tell you. Complete madness.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Top U.S. military leaders presented Defense Secretary Robert Gates with their strategy for future force levels in Iraq, including expected recommendations for a pause in troop cuts for as much as six weeks later this summer. There was no indication that Gen. David Petraeus had backed off his call for a brief pause in troop cuts after July in order to see what effect the lower force levels have on violence in Iraq. I guess the big question is how long 'brief' really is. If we're talking about a 100 year engagement--props to John McCain for that rosy outlook--then brief could mean several years. There has been some tension among other top military leaders over how long additional troop cuts can be delayed. The Army's chief of staff, Gen. George Casey, has expressed concern about the stress that long and repeated war deployments are putting on his soldiers and their families. And the Marine Corps commandant, Gen. James Conway, has voiced similar worries about the Marines. Jeez, would you guys like some cheese what your whine? I fail to see how a little thing like lack of troops can keep you military types from seeing the big picture. We're going to stay the course until the mission is accomplished. Wait a second. I seem to recall that someone said we did that a couple of years ago. Oh, what do I know.

2008 Presidential Campaign - The drive for a second Michigan presidential primary collapsed Thursday, and a fresh dispute broke out between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over the fate of the state's 156 national convention delegates. Obama's campaign said a fair resolution would be to split them evenly with Clinton. Aides to the former first lady instantly rejected the idea. Well, there's a big surprise. The state held a primary in January, so early in the year that it violated party rules. As a result, it was stripped of its delegates. Obama and several other Democratic candidates removed their name from the Michigan ballot and all Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign there. Michigan Democratic leaders had proposed a do-over primary, to be conducted by the state on June 3 with funding by private donors. But lawmakers showed a lack of enthusiasm for a bill authorizing the vote, and state Senate adjourned without taking it up. I said it once, and I'll say it again. If the Democrats had just done the same thing that the GOP did and penalized Michigan--and Florida, for that matter--half its delegates and let the primary run its course, this would all be over and would could focus our attentions on more important things, like the discovery of water a couple of hundred million miles away.

Water - Scientists say they have found the best evidence yet that an ocean of liquid water may be hidden below the surface of Saturn's giant moon Titan. The latest evidence of an underground ocean is indirect and is based on analyzing radar images and Titan's spin rates from observations by the international Cassini spacecraft from 2004 to 2007. Scientists determined that winds in Titan's atmosphere exert a torque on the lunar surface and concluded there must be a liquid ocean below. Now before you contact your real estate agent to get in on the ground floor of some possible waterfront property development, keep this in mind... If an internal ocean exists on Titan, it would likely be buried below 62 miles of ice and made of water and traces of ammonia. Titan is one of the few objects in the outer solar system with a significant atmosphere, and scientists have long puzzled over the source of its methane. They have theorized that methane is locked in the ice covering and released through processes involving an ocean below. And here I was thinking all that smog was caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Bathroom Breaks - This one is almost beyond belief. Union officials in Colorado say a supervisor tried to cut down on lengthy bathroom breaks by telling workmen to use disposable urinal bags in the field. The manager distributed the bags to 25 male field technicians, telling them not to waste time leaving a job site to search for a public bathroom. You have got to be kidding me. Companies have for years offered portable urinal bags to workers who could find themselves in the field far from a bathroom. I suppose this would be handy if you were hanging out on a telephone pole all day long. The bag's manufacturer said it provides the bags to various industrial companies, including electric utilities, municipal public works and telephone companies. Now here's a job that I'd like to have--urinal bag quality assurance tester.

American Idol - This Kristy Lee Cook broad is killing me. Amanda Overmyer, who sang "Back in the U.S.S.R.", was voted off "American Idol", leaving 10 hopefuls to vie for the title and record contract. Carly Smithson and Kristy Lee Cook were the other lowest vote-getters. I so totally don't get why Smithson was in the bottom three, other than the fact that the outfit she wore on Tuesday was hideous. This year's roster of celebrity mentors was also announced: Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Neil Diamond. Curious that there are only 4 mentors this year. Do you think the fact that last year's mentor kind of stole the limelight from the contestants has anything to do with this year's selections, or lack thereof?

Basketball - I hate to blow my own horn (okay, maybe I don't), but as we go to press this opening day of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament, guess who is 12 for 12? Yeah, that's right. Me, baby. Don't get me wrong. I know that I'll be totally screwed tomorrow or the next day. But for now, WHO'S DA' MAN?

Golf - Newsflash. Tiger Woods shot a 5-under 67 in the first round of the CA Championship in Doral, Florida. I mention this simply to point out that he isn't leading...yet. Woods is two shots back of Geoff Ogilvy and Miguel Angel Jimenez. I'm sure that situation will take care of itself tomorrow, and if not, then definitely on Sunday.

What Caught My Eye Today

Space Station - Astronauts moved Dextre — a 12-foot giant robot with 11-foot arms — to its new perch outside NASA's Destiny lab. The Canadian Space Agency supplied the $200 million-plus robot, conceived as an assistant to spacewalking astronauts. It may be months, or possibly even a year, before the robot is put to the test. That's how long it will take to check out the robot and allow an appropriate job to present itself. So like let me see if I've got this straight. Canada builds a $200 million robot, astronauts spend a week trying to install it, and now it could be upwards of a year before Dextre is put to use? It's no wonder that critics have such an easy time questioning the logic of the high cost of space exploration.

Iraq - Iraq's presidential council approved a law that paves the way for provincial elections, giving a major boost to U.S.-backed efforts to promote national reconciliation on the fifth anniversary of the war. The move came two days after Vice President Dick Cheney visited Baghdad to press Iraqi leaders to overcome their differences and take advantage of a lull in violence to make political progress. I wonder if Cheney scares these guys as much as he does us folks here in the United States. The U.S. hopes new elections, to be held by Oct. 1 according to the measure, would give the Sunnis more political power and thereby weaken the insurgency. Yes, that would be a nice change of pace, wouldn't it? The difficulty in passing the law underscored the immense challenges involved in efforts to distribute power among Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds five years after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Kind of a pity, that we didn't come up with a plan for dealing with this possibility before we began this war 5 years ago. Such power-sharing agreements are the end goal of last year's buildup of U.S. troops. The hope has been that the declining bloodshed will remove the fear that has paralyzed Iraqi politicians, enabling them to compromise and strike deals across the sectarian divide. The key word here being 'hope' because clearly the reality has been much different from the 'hope'.

Germany - German Chancellor Angela Merkel earned a standing ovation from Israel's parliament after pledging to stand by Israel's side against any threat, particularly from Iran, and paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust. In an emotional speech, Merkel said Germans are still "filled with shame" about the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews. Yet her extraordinarily warm reception by the Jewish state also signaled that the two nations are increasingly willing to look to the future. Germany has proven a staunch ally of Israel, particularly since Merkel became chancellor in 2005. Israel's leaders said they are counting on Germany to take a lead in diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Israel and Germany established diplomatic ties in 1965, two decades after the end of World War II. Since then, Germany has become Israel's second-largest trading partner, and has paid $40 billion in reparations to Holocaust survivors in Israel. This is an interesting match up, don't you think? Don't get me wrong. Whenever two countries can come together--especially after the history that Germany and Israel have had--for peaceful ends, I say good for them. Of course, Iran may not look so favorable on this, but no one likes those guys anyway, so who cares what they think.

Japan - Japan has created an unusual government post to promote animation, and named a perfect figure to the position: a popular cartoon robot cat named Doraemon. The appointment is part of Japan's recent effort to harness the power of pop culture in diplomacy. Doraemon is a Japanese cultural icon and is popular around the world, especially in Asia. The robotic cat travels back in time from the 22nd century and uses gadgets such as a "time machine" and an "anywhere door" that come out of a fourth-dimensional pocket on his stomach to help his friends, allowing them to travel anywhere and to any time they wish. Astro Boy, another cartoon icon, was named last November as ambassador for overseas safety. Scoff if you like--I certainly did--but, seriously, is this such a bad idea? Why not go outside the box in the name of diplomacy? It's painfully obvious that the methods currently being employed are exactly what one could consider successful? I say we give Doraemon and Astro Boy a chance. Besides, who doesn't crack a smile just by saying the name Astro Boy?

American Idol - Confession time. I actually fell asleep watching the broadcast--which should tell you a little bit about the quality of the talent last night--so I am having to rely a bit on the recaps that I read this morning. There were few true standout performances last night but also few serious train wrecks as the final 11 tackled the Beatles songbook for a second consecutive week. Michael Johns ("A Day in the Life") faltered tonight, but he's unlikely to go just yet. Brooke White ("Here Comes the Sun")and Jason Castro ("Michelle") were also not at their best, but they're such charmers. Carly Smithson ("Black Bird") and David Cook ("Day Tripper") had perhaps the strongest performances of the night, while Amanda Obermyer ("Back in the USSR") and Kristy Lee Cook ("You've Got to Hide Your Love Away") were the weakest. Prediction time. I'm thinking the girls are going to take the hit this week. My bottom three are Cook, Obermyer, and Ramiele Malubay ("I Should Have Known Better"). I didn't even hear Malubay's performance, but I sticking with the experts on this call. And for a second week, I'm going with Cook to pack her bags. One final word on this weeks competition. Can someone please tell me what the fascination is with David Archuleta? I just don't get it.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - President Bush says he has no doubts about waging the unpopular war in Iraq despite the "high cost in lives and treasure." He says that retreat now would embolden Iran and provide al-Qaida with money for weapons of mass destruction to attack the United States. Wednesday marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. At least 3,990 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the war in 2003. It has cost taxpayers about $500 billion so far and estimates of the eventual tab run far higher. The president says successes in Iraq are undeniable. He calls almost 4,000 deaths and $500 billion in war spending 'successes?' What would Bush have called the Black Plague during the Middle Ages--a long summer holiday? He says war critics can no longer credibly argue that the U.S. is losing in Iraq, so they argue the war costs too much. So maybe we aren't losing in Iraq, but tell me this--what exactly are we gaining? I mean besides a lousy reputation and a national debt that in ballooning almost beyond comprehension.

Economy - Wall Street stormed higher as investors, optimistic following stronger-than-expected earnings from two big investment banks, were also galvanized by the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 420 points, its biggest one-day point gain in more than five years. As we all know, there are always two sides to every story. Still, while Wall Street's advance was heartening, investors were well aware that over the past six months, stocks have had many bursts higher, only to give them back at the first sign of credit market or economic trouble. It will take some time before anyone knows whether the market is back on a true upward track, or is just staging another bear market rally. As market watchers will recall, the Dow jumped 416 points just last Wednesday after a $200 billion loan pledge from the Fed. For you stock market novices, I'll break this down for you. Basically, the market will probably go up or down tomorrow, with the remote possibility of remaining flat. If you doubt me, you are more than welcome to tune into CNBC for 10 or 12 hours and listen to the so-called experts tell you the same thing.

Race - Barack Obama confronted the nation's racial divide head-on, tackling both black grievance and white resentment in a bold effort to quiet a campaign uproar over race and his former pastor's incendiary statements. The speech, at the National Constitution Center, was by far the most prominent airing of racial issues in Obama's 13-month campaign to become the first black president. Obama said it's not just blacks who are angry — some whites are, too, because they feel blacks are often given an unfair advantage through affirmative action. Obama advisers said he wrote the deeply personal speech himself. They said it was delivered in Philadelphia because of the city's historical significance, not because it is the most populous black city in Pennsylvania, site of the next primary vote on April 22. Yeah, I'm sure delivering this speech in the state where the next major primary will be contested was purely coincidental. On a serious note, I do hope that this speech does some good in bridging the racial divides that still clearly exist in our country. You would think with all the other troubles we have these days, that casting a suspicious eye on our neighbor simply because of the color of his skin, would be a bit lower on the totem pole. Sadly, it would appear that I am mistaken.

Olympics - More bad news for China. Moves to punish China over its handling of violence in Tibet gained momentum today, with a novel suggestion for a mini-boycott of the Beijing Olympics by VIPs at the opening ceremony. Such a protest by world leaders would be a huge slap in the face for China's Communist leadership. The violent protests in Tibet, the most serious challenge in almost two decades to China's rule in the region, are forcing governments and human rights campaigners to re-examine their approach to the games. The International Olympic Committee has been forced to lobby against boycott calls and the possibility of the games turning into a political demonstration. The IOC's basic position is that it is a sports organization and unable to pressure China or any other country on political matters. It must be convenient for the IOC to avoid having to take a position on this be resting on its principles. It's like the Switzerland of sports organizations.

Cleanliness - According to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, these are the ten cleanest cities in America:

1. Miami, FL You've got to be kidding me.
2. Seattle, WA Okay, this one I believe.
3. Jacksonville, FL
4. Orlando, FL I hear those amusement park guys clean fanatics.
5. Portland, OR
6. San Francisco, CA
7. Oklahoma City, OK Here's another unexpected entry.
8. Tampa, FL That's like four for Florida. I'm getting a bit suspicious now.
9. Minneapolis, MN
10. San Jose, CA Let's give it up for my home town!

As you all know, I like to give equal time to both sides of an issue. With that in mind, I give you the ten most polluted cities in America:

1. Los Angeles, CA That sounds right.
2. Bakersfield, CA That one too.
3. Fresno, CA I see a trend developing here.
4. Visalia, CA Four in a row?
5. Merced, CA Oh come on!
6. Houston, TX Finally another state.
7. Sacramento, CA And more dumping on California. What up?
8. Dallas, TX
9. New York, NY
10. Philadelphia, PA

What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's Note: Faith n' begorrah, it's Saint Patrick's day. Break out the green, tap a keg of Guinness and Erin go brea! (I looked it up, and this is the correct spelling).

Economy - Train wreck alert! Avert your eyes or watch with morbid fascination. Either way, the news still sucks. A fire sale of Bear Stearns Cos Inc stunned Wall Street and pummeled global financial stocks on the eve of an expected U.S. interest rate cut aimed at preventing a meltdown of the financial system. U.S. stocks almost ventured into bear market territory -- a drop of 20% from the October high. The market staged a late partial recovery as optimism set in over an expected decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to slash rates by as much as 1 percentage point tomorrow to jump-start financial markets and prevent a recession. Prevent? Dude, that ship has sailed. I think we're in a mitigation scenario at this point. Bankers around the world were already fretting about job losses because of the endless series of credit losses. It could get worse: The mayhem could spill over to Main Street, already reeling from a housing crisis. Trying to assuage worries that the credit crisis is spinning out of control, President George W. Bush said the United States was "on top of the situation." You mean the same way the captain of the Titanic was on top of the situation? That deal didn't turn out so well as I recall.

New York - David Paterson was sworn in as governor Monday before a crowd of lawmakers who chanted his name and cheered his message of unity in a state eager to move past his predecessor's sordid and speedy political collapse. Paterson became the state's first black chief executive and nation's second legally blind governor almost exactly a week after allegations first surfaced that Gov. Eliot Spitzer was "Client 9" of a high-priced call girl service. I don't know this guy, but I like him already. Why you may ask? I'll tell you. First of all, you don't have to worry about Paterson being the victim of lip-service--dude is blind, what's the point? Secondly, as a sight impaired individual, Paterson has compensated by having an extraordinary memory. I doubt the words, "I don't recall that," will ever be uttered from his lips. Good luck to you, Governor.

Nepal - Climbers are being told by Nepalese officials that Mount Everest's summit will be put off-limits to the public from all sides during the first 10 days of May, so the Chinese can carry an Olympic torch to the summit without risking a high-altitude confrontation over Tibet's future. China hopes to put climbers on the 29,035 foot summit of Everest, the world's highest peak, by May 10 possibly using live television to broadcast it and doesn't want Tibetan activists to ruin that Olympic spectacle. Don't you hate when human rights' protests get in the way of good television? Everest straddles the border of Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal, home to many Tibetan exiles and activists. May is considered the best time to climb Everest, but climbers have to be on the mountain weeks before to acclimatize to the harsh weather and high altitude. And don't get me started on how the laws of nature continue to get in the way of sporting events that I wait all all week to see.

China - Is it just me or are the Olympic Games starting to become a big headache for the Chinese? China vowed to defend its sovereignty in Tibet as Chinese troops set up checkpoints and mobilized to quell an uprising. A deadline for protesters in the Tibetan capital to turn themselves in passed without any apparent surrenders or arrests. The Tibetan protests began March 10 on the anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising. Tibet had been effectively independent for decades before Chinese communist troops entered in 1950. The upheaval is prompting scrutiny of the communist government's human rights record ahead of the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Summer Olympics, which China had hoped would boost its international image. And China's troubles are just limited to the political scene. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) didn’t rule out postponing endurance competitions like the marathon because of the heavy pollution in the air over the Chinese capital. Events that require a minimum one hour of continuous physical effort at a high level, are under the scanner, the IOC said. These would include the marathon, swimming, mountain biking, urban road cycling, triathlon and the walks. Beijing has already spent nearly $17 billion trying to improve its environment and recently the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee said major pollutants in the air had come down since the city won the right to host the Games, but some experts say many of the statistical gains were achieved by moving the air quality monitors to less polluted areas of the Chinese capital. $17 billion with little or nothing to show for it? That's a shame. Still things could be worse for the Chinese. For instance they could be blowing $12 billion a month on a war in Iraq that may never end.

Sports - It's been awhile since our last jaunt through the world of sports...

Golf - Tiger Wood's victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational was his fifth in a row on the PGA Tour and his sixth straight worldwide, a streak that spans six months. Woods is so dominant that he has won seven of his last eight times on the PGA Tour, the exception being a runner-up finish to Phil Mickelson at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Labor Day. He’s an incredible 16 for 25 since the 2006 British Open. Now, even the purists must wonder if Woods can go an entire season without losing. Don't we think we may be getting ahead of ourselves just a tad bit. I'm not saying that I'd bet against the lad, but there is a lot of golf still too be played. There is always the possibility that he could get food poisoning.

Basketball - The Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-92 to stretch their streak to 22 and claim sole possession of first place in the Western Conference. The Rockets have won 26 of their last 27 games, 31 of their last 34, and 15 straight at home. Critics continue to dismiss Houston’s streak as a fluke, saying the Rockets have played a bunch of bad teams. Last time I checked, the Lakers were a pretty good team. Of course, if they don't win the NBA Title, the streak won't mean much. Just look at the New England Patriots.

College Basketball - March Madness is here, baby. Sorry boss, but I'm afraid you're going to have to hold all my calls for the next three weeks. My Final Four picks? Wouldn't you like to know.

Soccer - Don't look now but hell may be starting to cool off. How else can one explain that either Canada or the United States will be in the Olympics, but Mexico will not? The CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier will send two teams to the Summer Games (Maybe...with this whole pollution mess, who knows?). Canada faces the United States in one semifinal--guaranteeing at least one will make the trip to Beijing--and Guatemala will take on Honduras in the other.

What Caught My Eye Today

Philippines - A court has acquitted former first lady Imelda Marcos of 32 counts of stealing money. Don't get your knickers in a bunch. She's not out of the woods yet. Read on. Marcos gain notoriety after her husband, Ferdinand, was deposed in a 1986 uprising and she was found to have own 15 mink coats and more than 1,000 pairs of shoes. That's a lot of shoes. The couple was accused of stealing some $10 billion in state funds during 20 years in power, but neither was ever convicted, and very little of the money has been recovered. In their defense, no one ever said that shoes were cheap.Imelda was quoted as saying, "I am so happy. This will subtract from the 901 cases that were filed against the Marcoses." 901? Well let's break out the old pen and paper and see what that leaves us with. 869 counts to go. Way to go there, Imelda. At this rate you'll be a free woman something in the 22nd century.

China - Let me begin this next item but saying I love how these guys think. China has mobilized a massive force of 600,000 volunteers to deter protesters during the Beijing Olympic Games in August. "If we see petitioners or protesters carrying a banner, definitely we must stop them," one volunteer said. That sounds rather harsh doesn't it? Chinese authorities are worried about the dozens of international groups--protesting everything from China's poor human rights record to occupation of Tibet--planing to attend the Games. Just out of curiosity, would they get all weirded out if we went to the Games and criticized the stuff at home that pissed us off. I mean if there are going to be protests anyway, why not just join the party?

Education - After 15 consecutive years of growth, the number of college applicants is expected to level off next year and begin to decline. Okay, I suppose there are two ways to look at this. On one hand, this could be another indicator that the country is getting dumber by the year. On the other hand, this could be a reflection of flattening or negative population growth. The optimist in me votes for the latter, but the realist senses that it is the former.

Tourism - A record 56.7 million foreign tourists visited the United States last year, surpassing the previous record of 51.2 million set in 2000. Attracted partly by the bargains created by the falling dollar, tourists spent $122.7 billion here. I think this just goes to show that every storm has its silver lining. Oh sure the stock market is tanking, financial institutions are getting hammered by that sub-prime lending mess, gas prices are approaching $4 a gallon, and well I could go on. But the important thing to focus on here, I think, is that foreign tourists are finally able to get a good deal in the U.S. thanks to our lousy economy and record low dollar. That has to make them like us better now, doesn't it?

Texting - AT&A now offers a tutorial that decodes the acronyms kids use when texting or IMing (instant messaging), some of which are meant to alert their friends about prying parental eyes. Among them: POS ("parent over shoulder"), PRW ("parents are watching") and KPC ("keeping parents clueless"). Okay, at first I thought this was a joke. Sadly, I was wrong. Kind of a sad commentary on the state of the family unit, isn't it. Should you be interested, click here for that tutorial.