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