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.