What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - While we don't know who the Democratic nominee is just yet, there's no reason for us not to speculate on some likely vice presidential candidates. After all, 2012 is just around the corner. As John McCain and eventually Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton ponder their choices, do they also need to consider if public familiarity seeds vice-presidential possibilities? A record of public service doesn't hurt: Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and chair Carly Fiorina garnered searches after the Wall Street Journal surfaced her name on the McCain "short list," although her online profile didn't see an enthusiastic surge. Among those who have been asked (not by McCain, but reporters), Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has already declined the honor by virtue of being too outspoken. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal said he wouldn't be asked and expressed contentment with his current gig. Here's a fascinating list of VP candidates according to hits on Yahoo! search:

1. Barack Obama (D) Illinois senator and presidential candidate
2. Hillary Clinton (D) New York senator and presidential candidate
3. Condoleezza Rice (R) Secretary of State
4. Antonin Scalia (R) Supreme Court Justice
5. Mitt Romney (R) Former Massachusetts governor and recent presidential candidate
6. Mike Huckabee (R) Former Arkansas governor and recent presidential candidate
7. John Edwards (D) Former North Carolina senator and recent presidential candidate
8. Sarah Palin (R) Alaska governor
9. Bill Richardson (D) New Mexico governor
10. Lindsey Graham (R) South Carolina senator
11. Sam Nunn (D) Former Georgia senator
12. Charlie Crist (R) Florida governor
13. Jim Webb (D) Virginia senator
14. Evan Bayh (D) Indiana senator
15. Bobby Jindal (R) Louisiana governor
16. Ted Strickland (D) Ohio governor
17. Tim Kaine (D) Virginia governor
18. Joe Lieberman (D) Connecticut senator and former vice-presidential candidate
19. Tim Pawlenty (R) Minnesota governor
20. Mark Sanford (R) South Carolina governor

Other than a couple notable exceptions--mostly the former Presidential candidates--the common thread among these folks seems to be that the vast majority of the population has probably never heard of these people. Then again, it is the Vice Presidency we are talking about.

Iraq - The White House said that President Bush has paid a price for the "Mission Accomplished" banner that was flown in triumph five years ago but later became a symbol of U.S. misjudgments and mistakes in the long and costly war in Iraq. Imagine that. Thursday is the fifth anniversary of Bush's dramatic landing in a Navy jet on an aircraft carrier homebound from the war. The USS Abraham Lincoln had launched thousands of airstrikes on Iraq. After shifting explanations, the White House eventually said the "Mission Accomplished" phrase referred to the carrier's crew completing its 10-month mission, not the military completing its mission in Iraq. Of course it did. Bush, in October 2003, disavowed any connection with the "Mission Accomplished" message. He said the White House had nothing to do with the banner; a spokesman later said the ship's crew asked for the sign and the White House staff had it made by a private vendor. Oh that's nice. Blame this mess on the carrier crew. That's a real show of class.

China - "China, a communist-led, nuclear state that aspires to -- and will likely achieve -- great power status during this century, will be the focus of U.S. attention (in Asia)," CIA Director Michael Hayden said. Always nice to see our intelligence agency on top of things. Hayden added that China was likely to continue a "troubling" military buildup. He said the military buildup was influenced by the U.S. show of armed might in the two Gulf wars and reinforced concerns about China's intentions toward Taiwan. "But even without that issue, we assess that a buildup would continue." China needs to access markets, technology and resources, and wants to assert its influence, but faces challenges including uneven income distribution, a growing dependence on imports of oil and other resources and environmental degradation. One can only hope that this 'intelligence'--which anyone who has a pulse probably already knows--is not viewed as 'breaking news' by our leadership.

Russia - NATO accused Moscow of stoking tensions by announcing a troop build-up in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region which risked undermining stability in the country. At least it was NATO making the accusation rather than the United States. Our credibility when it comes to this sort of thing, isn't exactly ironclad. The NATO ambassadors expressed "clearly and unanimously" their concern about Russian moves to establish legal links to Abkhazia and a second separatist region, South Ossetia, saying it undermined Georgian sovereignty. The crisis between the small Transcaucasian country, a vital energy transit route, and its former Soviet master has alarmed NATO allies, which see Georgia as a future member. NATO also announced plans for a similar mission in June to Ukraine, another ex-Soviet state the alliance has said will one day join the 26-nation alliance. Maybe I'm missing something here, but its rather obvious why Russia is assuming a rather defensive posture on this. NATO keeps sucking these former Soviet-states into its military alliance, leaving Russia increasingly isolated. It shouldn't be that difficult to connect the dots.

American Idol - American Idol pulled off the rare trick of feeling frantically rushed and musically soporific at the same time. The five contestants each sang two songs, and, in an ill-considered move, the judges were restricted to just one critique per singer. David Archuleta matched mentor Neil Diamond’s original America and Sweet Caroline for sheer bombast, while Jason Castro sleepwalked through Forever in Blue Jeans and September Morn. Syesha Mercado’s Hello Again was an overwrought snoozefest, but her driving Thank the Lord for the Night Time was the show’s highlight. Brooke White contributed a pale I’m a Believer but I Am, I Said was more her style. David Cook sang effectively on All I Really Need Is You, but couldn’t fire up any spark in the lifeless I’m Alive. And now for my picks. I figure the two Davids are the only safe bets for advancing to next week (though for the life of me I don't see what Archuleta brings to the table). Based on the talent shown last night, Castro should be dumped, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Syesha has reached the end of the line.

What Caught My Eye Today

Economy - President Bush, hoping to inoculate his party and his presidential legacy from election-year anger over the economy, heaped criticism on the Democratic-led Congress for "letting the American people down." Of course he did. But wait, here's the shocker...He said he'd consider a summer suspension of federal gasoline taxes. But he offered no new ideas for a range of economic worries now facing the country. The president tried to shift the focus to Congress, saying he long ago sent lawmakers proposals to deal with many of the nation's economic problems, only to see them sit or be replaced with approaches that he deems unacceptable.No way! How out of character for the President. And how do you think Congress reacted to this diatribe? Capitol Hill's Democratic leaders said Bush was to blame for proposing policies that would worsen the problem, not help, and that it was their duty to reject them. I think a time it is in order. If the President and Congress are going to act like children, maybe they should be treated as such.

Iran - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that sending a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf could serve as a "reminder" to Iran, but he said it's not an escalation of force. Gates said heightening U.S. criticism of Iran and its support for terror groups is not a signal that the administration is laying the groundwork for a strike against Tehran. Right. How could a second aircraft carrier possibly be seen as an 'escalation' of force? It's merely a 'show' of force. In the past, military officials have said that beefing up the Navy's presence in the Gulf was a way to show that that the U.S. remains committed to the region. And they have acknowledged it also serves as a show of force for other countries there, such as Iran. Oh sure, to the untrained eye this may seem like a contradiction, but it's not. You see, the Defense Secretary is a civilian post. Only military officials have said that this sort of action serves as a 'show of force'. What do they know anyway?

Here's a bonus daily double...

Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pushed to seal a $7.6 billion pipeline deal linking the world's second-largest gas reserves to growing South Asian economies, despite opposition from the United States. Ahmadinejad met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a brief stop-over trip that has already sparked diplomatic tension between New Delhi and Washington, which fears the pipeline will fund Iran's nuclear ambitions. Washington urged India this month to use Ahmadinejad's visit to encourage Iran to stop nuclear enrichment. India, which has been growing closer to the United States in recent years, responded sharply -- saying that it did not need any "guidance" on its bilateral relations. So many reactions come to mind; where does one begin? First off, if we are to believe the notion that oil prices are rising due to decreased supplies, how could a new oil pipeline be viewed as a negative development? Secondly, it is somewhat difficult to believe that Ahmadinejad's motives are entirely on the up-and-up. And lastly, maybe the United States should give India the benefit of the doubt and let the Indian government do its thing.

Saudi Arabia - This is rather curious. Yet another reminder of just how little the Western world knows about the Muslim world. A governor in northern Saudi Arabia has ordered authorities to punish men who flirt with women in public places by cutting their hair. Sounds rather amusing, doesn't it? Saudi Arabia has long imposed a strict Islamic lifestyle in which men and women are segregated in public. That lifestyle is enforced by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, a government body that runs the country's powerful religious police. Here's another head scratcher--'religious police'? Its members patrol public places to make sure women are covered and not wearing make up, the sexes don't mingle, shops close five times a day for Muslim prayers and men go to the mosque and worship. Now there are some dudes that I want to party with. These guys sound like the life of the party.

Earthquakes - Scientists are scrutinizing seismic readings and studying damage at residents' homes to try to figure out what's happening beneath the earth's surface under a northwest Reno neighborhood rocked by a seemingly endless string of earthquakes. What they can't say is whether the hundreds of temblors that have rattled the area for two months — the largest a magnitude 4.7 last week — are subsiding or a prelude to bigger things to come. Gee, there's a big surprise. Scientists unwilling - or unable (you make the call) - to make definitive statements about the probability of the big one being just around the corner. The shaking is unusual, seismologists say, because the intensity of the quakes has increased over the past few weeks. Generally, earthquakes tend to occur and are followed by smaller aftershocks. During the past week alone, more than 500 occurrences have been recorded. Regardless of what the scientists say or don't say, this doesn't sound so good. When Mother Nature gets her mind set on something, like or not, she's probably going to do it, and when it happens, we're likely all going to notice.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Hillary Rodham Clinton now leads John McCain by 9 points in a head-to-head presidential matchup, according to a recent poll that bolsters her argument that she is more electable than Democratic rival Barack Obama. Obama and Republican McCain are running about even. The survey gives Clinton a fresh talking point as she works to raise much-needed campaign cash and persuade pivotal undecided superdelegates to side with her in the drawn-out Democratic primary fight. I never got the impression that she ran out of talking point, but maybe I'm splitting hairs here.Helped by independents, young people and seniors, Clinton gained ground this month in a hypothetical match with McCain. She now leads McCain, 50% to 41%, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46% to 44%. Both Democrats were roughly even with McCain in the previous poll about three weeks ago. Funny thing about polls. Turns out they don't actually determine who wins an election.

We have a daily double today...Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will know when to pull out of the U.S. presidential race in order to unify the party for the general election, the chairman of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean said. And we all know what a voice of reason he is. Dean warned that a prolonged battle between Clinton and Obama could hurt the party's chances in November's election against John McCain. Dude, tell me he figured this out before now. Clinton said she thought the tough race had been good for the Democratic Party because it fired up voters' interest. Well, honestly, what else could she have said? Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, is leading Clinton in the popular vote, states won and committed delegates to the party's nominating convention in August. But recent victories in Pennsylvania and Ohio by Clinton, who would be the first female U.S. president, have raised questions about Obama's ability to win big states. Not much here is new information. However, as we get closer to the November election, here's what I would like to know. When the rubber hits the road and people fill out their ballots--for real--will they be ready to break the gender or racial barrier that thus far has kept everyone other than white men out of the White House?

Miley Cyrus - It had to happen at some point. This chick was just too squeaky clean to be taken seriously. Miley Cyrus is taking issue with a photo of herself that's going around, and it's not another amateur, truth-or-dare Internet snapshot. The photos, appearing in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, were taken by Annie Leibovitz, a renowned celebrity photographer whose edgy, silver-toned portraits have included subjects such as Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson and a naked, pregnant Demi Moore. The Cyrus pictures accompany an interview with the 15-year-old pop star and her father, singer Billy Ray Cyrus. One photo in particular is causing the biggest stir: the teen idol is wrapped in what appears to be a satin bedsheet, looking over her shoulder with her back exposed. Oh, lighten up, people it's just a picture. As for you, Miss Cyrus. Just exactly how did you envision these pictures were going to be received by the public. You're 15 for heaven's sake. Here's a novel idea. Maybe you should consider keeping your clothes on for another couple of years until you are legal.

What Caught My Eye Today

Wildfires - An early season wildfire slowly chewed its way through dense brush near Los Angeles forcing more than 1,000 people from homes in the foothills. On the off chance that you were curious, the fire season's official start is usually June 1. The fire was first reported yesterday afternoon in a wooded area a few miles northeast of Pasadena. It was windy at the time and unseasonably hot, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees. About 400 firefighters were assigned to the fire, which was about 5 percent contained early this morning. Water-dropping airplanes and helicopters were also fighting the blaze. Late last year, strong winds, high temperatures and parched brush after a record drought were blamed for spreading a series of blazes from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border that destroyed thousands of buildings and drove hundreds of thousands of Californians from their homes. I'm guessing this doesn't bode well for the upcoming summer season. Still, I suppose if you are looking for a silver lining in all this, I bet the seasonal employment opportunities for the fire service are going to skyrocket.

Olympic Torch - Yup, the relay is continuing its whirlwind tour. Protests and scuffles greeted the Olympic flame as it began a two-day journey on the divided Korean peninsula along a route guarded by thousands of riot policeman wielding shields and truncheons. The torch relay in South Korea began at a park used for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and followed a 22-km (14-mile) route kept secret until the last minute. The global torch relay ahead of the Beijing Games in August has prompted protests against China's human rights record in Tibet as well as patriotic rallies by Chinese who criticize the West for vilifying Beijing. The flame is meant to transmit a message of peace and friendship but in Seoul protesters used it as an opportunity to urge Beijing to better protect what rights groups estimate are the hundreds of thousands of North Koreans who have fled to China, escaping poverty at home. Yeah, I don't see that message of peace and friendship making the sort of impression that the torch relay organizers were probably hoping for. The torch is expected to arrive with its attendants by airplane in North Korea, then goes to Vietnam and Hong Kong. The isolated North, which rarely holds international events, has promised China it will stage an "amazing" relay. When North Korea hosts an honored state visitor, it sends hundreds of thousands of its citizens into the streets of Pyongyang. Dressed in their finest clothes, they wave bouquets of pink and purple plastic flowers and cheer on cue when the guest passes by. In defense of North Korea, you can't really accuse them of staging a 'false front' for the Olympic torch. They pretty much do this song and dance every time the international community looks in on them.

Fred's Note: These last few items are just the ticket for that awkward moment at the dinner table, when you have run out of polite things to say to your dinner guests, and they don't know enough to engage in an intelligent conversation on current events.

Pennies - Soaring copper prices are pinching the U.S. Mint. It now costs 1.3 cents to make a penny and 7.7 cents to make a nickel. Kind of funny when you think about it.There is an environment cost too--namely, copper mining and refining that involves huge amounts of power and water. Coinstar, the company whose coin counting machines convert change into greenbacks or credit at supermarkets, estimates there are some 150 billion coins going unused in the United States: $10 billion , or $90 per household. If Americans cashed in just 10% of these coins, the U.S. would save 3.28 billion gallons of water, the energy equivalent of 4.1 million light bulbs, can reduce carbon emission by the equivalent of removing 12,619 cars from roads. all that waste for a coin that doesn't do much of anything but take up space in the cookie jar. That being said, I don't see the penny (or the nickel for that matter) going the way of the dodo bird anytime in the foreseeable future.

Gasoline - The time it takes the average worker to earn enough to buy a gallon of gasoline is rising. In 1998, it took that average hourly production worker (non-farm) about 5 minutes of work to purchase a gallon of gasoline. In 2008, it takes just over 11 minutes. Just what the doctor order, huh? Another fun-filled factoid showing just how freaking expensive gas is.

Now if you haven't dazzled your guests with those two tidbits, perhaps you can bore them into leaving with this last item. I'm not saying that it isn't important, just a bit dull--as many important things tend to be.

Jet Stream - The jet stream, a shifting river of high-speed wind that determines much of the weather in the United States is slowly shifting northward, making the South and the Southwest hotter and drier while bringing more extreme storms to the Northeast. I would think that this would be good news. Honestly, who really believes that Phoenix in July isn't warm enough or that the nor'easters that batter the Northeast aren't strong enough? I say, bring it on. Climatologists have found that the jet stream has been moving northward at a rate of 1.25 miles a year, perhaps because of global warming. Of course. While they're at it, maybe they could blame the rest of humanity's problems on global warming as well. The jet stream drives storm systems and colder air across the country; when it moves away from a region, high pressure and clear, sunny weather tend to dominate.

And if your guests still don't get the hint, I find that a well-time flatulence works wonders when it comes to clearing the room.

What Caught My Eye Today

Syria - The White House said that North Korea's secret work on a nuclear reactor with Syria was "a dangerous and potentially destabilizing development for the world," raising doubts about Pyongyang's intention to carry through with a promised disclosure of its nuclear activities. Seven months after Israel bombed the reactor, the White House broke its silence and said North Korea assisted Syria's secret nuclear program and that the destroyed facility was not intended for "peaceful purposes." The Syrian nuclear reactor destroyed by Israeli jets was within weeks or months of being functional, but still needed significant testing before it could be declared operational. No uranium, which is needed to fuel a reactor, was evident at the site, a remote area of eastern Syria along the Euphrates River, the U.S. said the reactor was similar in design to a North Korean reactor. So basically, the United States is pointing its finger at North Korea for allegedly helping to build something that Israel blew up seven months ago, while at the same time engaging in a six nation tightwire act to suspend nuclear activity in North Korea. Is this some sort of new negotiating tactic? I gotta say I'm not exactly seeing how this is going to help.

Palestinian State - President Bush sought to inject some confidence into the flagging Mideast peace process, pledging that the contours of a Palestinian state can still be reached before he leaves office. Say what you will about the man, but the dude certainly appears to be pulling out all the stops to salvage his legacy. Under the U.S.-backed peace plan known as the "road map," Israel is to halt settlement construction and take down unauthorized outposts built after March 2001 and Palestinians are to dismantle violent groups. The settlement issue, in particular, has raised tensions lately and prompted deep concerns from Abbas. In theory, this seems rather straightforward, doesn't it? In reality...dream on, Mr. President. The core unresolved issues remain the final borders of a Palestinian state, the fate of Jerusalem, disputed Israeli settlements and Palestinian refugees. Like I said, rather straightforward. All the President needs is a little divine intervention and several large scale miracles and these issues will work themselves out.

Olympics - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he will push for a European Union-wide agreement on whether to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Sarkozy's boycott threat and raucous protests by pro-Tibet supporters during the Olympic torch relay in Paris on April 7 have rankled many in China and sparked a series of anti-French demonstrations. Sarkozy has sought to soothe the tensions, sending a letter to a disabled Chinese athlete attacked during the Paris torch relay, and sending senior officials to China this week. Sarkozy said he was "shocked by what happened in Tibet" but insisted China should not be marginalized from the international scene. As an economic giant and a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, China is owed respect, he said. This Sarkozy is a piece of work. Listen, bro'. I'm no expert, but threatening a boycott of the opening ceremonies is probably not the ideal way to show China some 'respect.' And another thing. You are a head of state--start acting like one. If you want to make a political statement on behalf of the French people, then do it. Asking the EU to sanction a boycott just makes you look like a wienie. You would have been better off keeping your big mouth shut in the first place. At the very least, next time maybe you should consider the possible repercussions of your statements before you make them. In other words, think before you speak. You'll be amazing at how much smarter you will appear.

Iraq - Muqtada al-Sadr is considering setting aside his political ambitions and restarting a full-scale fight against U.S.-led forces — a worrisome shift that may reflect Iranian influence on the young cleric and could open the way for a shadow state protected by his powerful Mahdi Army. A possible breakaway path would represent the ultimate backlash to the Iraqi government's pressure on al-Sadr to renounce and disband his Shiite militia. By snubbing the give-and-take of politics, al-Sadr would have a freer hand to carve out a kind of parallel state with its own militia and social services along the lines of Hezbollah in Lebanon, a Shiite group founded with Iran's help in the 1980s. And we all know how well that turned out in bringing peace to that region. It also would carry potentially disastrous security implications as the Pentagon trims its troops strength and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki finally shows progress on national reconciliation. A cease-fire declared last summer by al-Sadr has been credited with helping bring a steep drop violence.Well now, that can't be. I thought the reduction in violence was due to the U.S. troop 'surge'. Plus, last I heard we were pausing indefinitely on the troop withdrawal to reassess the security situation in Iraq. Could it possibly be that the information being fed to the U.S. public may not be entirely reflective of the actual goings on in Iraq?

Evolution - Ancient humans started down the path of evolving into two separate species before merging back into a single population, a genetic study suggests. Do you think they are referring to liberals versus conservatives? The genetic split in Africa resulted in distinct populations that lived in isolation for as much as 100,000 years. Scientists say the most likely scenario is that two populations went their separate ways early in our evolutionary history. This gave rise to separate human communities localised to eastern and southern Africa that evolved in isolation for between 50,000 and 100,000 years. This divergence could have been related to climate change: recent studies of ancient climate data suggest that eastern Africa went through a series of massive droughts between 135,000-90,000 years ago. The findings are also consistent with the idea that modern humans had a close brush with extinction in the evolutionary past. The number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the Late Stone Age. Interesting. Seems global warming has messed with the human race before. Modern humans are often presumed to have originated in East Africa and then spread out to populate other areas. But the data could equally support an origin in southern Africa followed by a migration to East and West Africa. Assuming this is true a whole heapload of textbooks are going to need to be rewritten.

American Idol - I've missed my updates for the past couple of weeks, but frankly, the results just prove that this is a popularity contest more so than a talent competition. Nonetheless, here is a quick recap. This week's theme was focused on the music of stage composer Andrew Lloyd Webber who also served as this week's mentor. Syesha Mercado vamped her way through Starlight Express’ One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many. David Cook displayed unsuspected theatrical chops on the Phantom of the Opera ballad Music of the Night. David Archuleta put his emotional ballad stamp on Phantom’s Think of Me. And Carly Smithson smartly wailed through a power-packed Jesus Christ Superstar. Jason Castro was simply out of his depth on Memory from Cats, a complex ballad by his sing-along standards; and Brooke White pulled a false start for the second time this season on the Madonna Evita cover You Must Love Me. Carly ended up getting eliminated. How Jason and Brooke managed to skate through is beyond me. Sure, I'll keep watching, that is until David Cook get eliminated. Dude is head and shoulders better than everyone else remaining, especially teen heartthrob, David Archuleta.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Exuding fresh confidence after her Pennsylvania primary win, Hillary Clinton turned attention to contests in Indiana and North Carolina and pressed her case that she can still win the Democratic presidential nomination despite the odds against her. And this comes as a surprise to who? Clinton argued that her feisty act of political survival, defeating Barack Obama in Pennsylvania by 10 points, confirms her contention that she would be the stronger challenger against Republican John McCain because she has shown she can win in big, swing states. Forget about the fact that she had a 20 point lead just 4 weeks ago. The Pennsylvania matchup was fierce and bitter, which seemed to harden attitudes among Democrats even as McCain tended to the unification of the GOP and campaigned across the country in preparation for the fall. Only half of each Democrat's supporters said they would be satisfied if the other Democrat won the nomination, according to interviews with voters as they left polling stations. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. You have to hand it to the Democratic party. No matter how certain the outcome seems, they always manage to snatch defeat from the clutches of victory. President McCain...yeah, I guess we better start getting used to the sound of that.

Middle East - Army General David Petraeus, the four-star general who led troops in Iraq for the past year, will be nominated by President Bush to be the next commander of U.S. Central Command. Central Command oversees the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other problems in the Central Command area of responsibility, demand knowledge of how to fight counterinsurgencies as well as other unconventional conflicts. Please don't tell me that Washington is just figuring this out now. Petraeus is widely hailed by the Bush administration and members of Congress for implementing a new strategy in Iraq, including the deployment of some 30,000 additional troops, that dramatically improved security. I imagine that it is all a matter of perspective, but I'm not exactly sure having to deal with two headaches--Iraq and Afghanistan--rather than just one--Iraq--is what I would consider to be a promotion. Then again, I'm a slacker. I revel in my laziness.

Arctic - Denmark has invited high-ranking officials from Norway, Russia, the United States and Canada to meet in Greenland next month to discuss competing claims to the Arctic. Sure, go ahead and laugh. I'm telling you, with this global warming deal kicking into high gear, this could be some prime beachfront real estate in no time at all. Countries around the Arctic Ocean are rushing to stake out claims on the Polar Basin seabed as a warming climate could ease access for drilling for oil and mineral resources there. The amount of ice covering the Arctic shrank to its smallest on record in September, U.S. satellite data has shown. Russia sought to claim the North Pole last summer by planting a flag on the seabed beneath it, while Denmark sent an icebreaker to collect data which would support extending its territory beyond the established 200 nautical miles from Greenland. See what I mean?

Taxes - I didn't get a chance to post this item on tax day last week. Out of an estimated federal tax take of $938.7 billion, the biggest chunk--$337.9 billion--funds Social Security, Medicare, and other retirement benefits. After that, $215.9 billion funds national defense, $178.3 billion pays for assorted social programs, $112.6 billion covers student loans (really?), $75.1 billion goes to paying the interest on our $9.4 trillion federal debt (yikes!), and $18.8 billion funds federal law enforcement agencies. So like, does anyone share my feeling that we're not exactly getting our money's worth?

U.S. Supreme Court - The Supreme Court issued a ruling last week upholding the constitutionality of lethal injection, the most common form of execution in the United States. I hear rumors that they are mulling over whether or not to take on 'waterboarding' as a legal form of interrogation. The decision clears the way for states to resume administering the death penalty, following an unofficial moratorium while the court deliberated. By a 7 to 2 vote the justices ruled that death penalty opponents had not proved that inmates could suffer excruciating pain if an anesthetic administered as part of a deadly three-drug "cocktail" failed to work. Given the narrow scope of what the Supreme Court was ruling on, I cannot say that I disagree with the logic of the ruling. I'm not sure anyone could reasonable expect the death penalty to be a pleasant experience. My problem is that the United States still considers this a legal form of criminal punishment.

Air Travel - For a change I'm not blasting the airlines on their lousy service, but rather reporting on some rather creative ways that they are trying to squeeze out a profit. Apparently, they've given up on providing good customer service and offering on-time performance. Air carriers are trimming weight on their aircrafts wherever they can to combat soaring fuel costs. Japan Airlines has cut more than 260 pounds from the average weight of each Boeing 747 in its fleet by introducing lighter forks and spoons and thinner porcelain dishware. It is also putting slimmer toothbrushes in its passenger amenity kits. JetBlue, meanwhile, has jettisoned bulkier snacks on long haul flights in favor of extra-thin chips and similar fare. Good idea. Those peanuts were really weighing me down. JetBlue believes that it will save more than $800,000 a year in fuel costs. Germany's Lufthansa says it saved nearly 500,000 gallons of jet fuel--about $1.8 million worth--by reducing onboard drinking water supplies. Next up a fuel surcharge for anyone the tips the scales at more than 200 pounds.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Not sure if you heard or not, but there was a presidential primary in Pennsylvania today. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama collided in the Pennsylvania primary, the last of the big-state contests in a Democratic presidential campaign growing more negative the longer it goes. With 158 delegates at stake, Pennsylvania offered the largest prize remaining in a primary season that ends on June 3. Obama began the night with a delegate lead, 1648 1/2 to 1509 1/2, out of 2,025 needed to win the nomination. Both rivals sought to shape expectations in advance. Obama said he expected to lose, but narrowly, and worked to limit any gains Clinton made in the delegate chase. The remaining Democratic contests are primaries in North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico, and caucuses in Guam. The last update from the networks, had Clinton ahead 55% to 45% with 3% of the polls reporting.

Pollution - Short-term exposure to smog, or ozone, is clearly linked to premature deaths that should be taken into account when measuring the health benefits of reducing air pollution, a National Academy of Sciences report concluded. Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? But as usual, nothing is ever as it seems. The findings contradict arguments made by some White House officials that the connection between smog and premature death has not been shown sufficiently, and that the number of saved lives should not be calculated in determining clean air benefits. Just out of curiosity, why not? I'm thinking an increase in saved lives would be a substantial benefit. Then again, I'm a closet tree hugger, so what do I know. The report by a panel of the Academy's National Research Council says government agencies "should give little or no weight" to such arguments. The panel went on to say, "the committee has concluded from its review of health-based evidence that short-term exposure to ambient ozone is likely to contribute to premature deaths." Reading between the lines here, I'd say that the White House and the National Academy of Sciences don't exactly see eye to eye on this issue.

Sudan - The conflict in Darfur is deteriorating, with full deployment of a new peacekeeping force delayed until 2009 and no prospect of a political settlement for a war that has killed perhaps 300,000 people in five years, U.N. officials said. Seriously, if you are feeling blue today, I'd skip to the next item right now. This isn't going to get any better. In grim reports to the Security Council, the United Nations aid chief and the representative of the peacekeeping mission said suffering in the Sudanese region is worsening. Tens of thousands more have been uprooted from their homes and food rations to the needy are about to be cut in half. The conflict began in early 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against Sudan's Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of discrimination. Many of the worst atrocities in the war have been blamed on the janjaweed militia of Arab nomads allied with the government. The Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations claims that "in our own calculations, the total number does not exceed 10,000." I know, maybe we should demand a recount. 10,000 versus 300,000? Something is out of whack here. I have a hard time believing that there are any ulterior motives in inflating the number of lives lost, though clearly the Sudanese government thinks there is.

Food - The World Food Program says the first global food crisis since World War II threatens 20 million of the poorest children. Well, heck, maybe you should skip this one too. Nothing to cheer about here either. The skyrocketing cost of food staples, stoked by rising fuel prices, unpredictable weather and demand from India and China, has already sparked sometimes violent protests across the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. The World Bank estimates food prices have risen by 83% in three years. That's almost as much as gas prices. Wow this is serious. Evolving diets among burgeoning middle classes in India and China will help double the demand for food — particularly grain intensive meat and dairy products — by 2030, the World Bank says. Many analysts claim that people in the West will need to eat less meat — and consume, or waste, less food in general. Seems so simple when they put it like that. All they're asking is for people to fundamentally change their lifestyles. Now, I'm a cynic by nature, but don't you think that if this was something people could reasonably be expected to do, that there wouldn't be such a proliferation of obesity. Though, looking at this from a slightly different perspective, if we run out of food, I'm betting that obesity rates will probably start to decline. Now we're talking.

What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's Note: I wish I could say that I was taking a well deserved break last week, but sadly I cannot. Tragically--and believe me when I say this got me where it really hurts--work got in the way of me not working very hard. It's not something I'm proud of, but there it is. And now, back to that crazy world we call home.

2008 Presidential Race - Don't look now, but we have another presidential primary tomorrow. Hillary Clinton invoked Pearl Harbor, the Berlin Wall and Osama bin Laden as she reached for a victory in Pennsylvania's Democratic presidential primary to recharge her comeback effort. Barack Obama said she would probably win but he hoped to keep it close in Tuesday's voting. Clinton made her closing arguments for the biggest primary left on the election schedule, running an ad with historic images to ask voters whom they would trust most in the White House during a time of trouble. It's the same tactic she used successfully in the "3 a.m." ad she aired in the closing days of the Ohio and Texas contests last month. I'm not so sure you can go to the same well too many times, but you never know. I suppose if anyone can get away with it, Hillary can. Clinton aides tried to keep expectations down, insisting they would be grateful for a win no matter how close. Yeah, right. A month ago, she had a 20-point lead. Still, I'm sure the spin doctors for both Clinton and Obama will come up with something positive for both candidates and the race for the nomination will go on to the next state. Lucky us, huh?

Oil - That sound that you hear every time to go to the gas station is your nest egg being sucked into your gas tank. Rising gasoline prices tightened the squeeze on drivers jumping for the first time to an average $3.50 a gallon at filling stations across the country with no sign of relief. Crude oil set a record for the sixth day in a row — this time closing above $117 a barrel — after an attack on a Japanese oil tanker in the Middle East rattled investors. Great. Like we needed this. Diesel prices at the pump also struck a record high of $4.20 a gallon. That's sure to add to truckers' costs and drive up the price of food, clothing and other goods shipped by truck. This next bit can only be described as sign that the end of the world might be closer than we think. Energy Department data show Americans used about 1% less gas in the four weeks ended April 11 than they did a year earlier. 1 whole percent? Stop the presses, this is huge! Good grief, people. Get a grip. Now if this trend continues and gas consumption goes down by like 10%, then I'll be impressed.

Hamas - Former President Carter said that the Islamic group Hamas was willing to accept the Jewish state as a "neighbor next door," but the militants did not match their upbeat words with concrete steps to halt violence. You don't say. Well golly, I'm stunned. Hamas, which advocates Israel's destruction, instead recycled previous offers, including a 10-year truce if Israel takes the unlikely step of withdrawing from the West Bank and Jerusalem first. Actions on the ground — seven rockets were fired on Israel from Hamas-ruled Gaza — contradicted the Islamic militant group's positive words about coexistence and a truce. Oh,sure there is some collateral damage and loss of innocent life, but we're talking about the peace process here. There's bound to be some speed bumps along the way. The salvo of rockets came despite a last-minute phone call from Carter, urging a one-month halt to attacks on Israel, to gain some international goodwill and defuse tensions. Carter said top Hamas leaders told him during seven hours of talks in Damascus over the weekend that they are willing to live next to Israel. The Bush administration and Israel, which shun Hamas as a terrorist group, have criticized the Carter mission as misguided. In Washington, a State Department official said that it does not appear Hamas has changed its positions. Yeah, so like I know Carter was a Democrat (probably still is) and Bush is a Republican, but don't we all play for the same team? A little solidarity couldn't hurt. And in defense of Carter, it's not like the Bush administration's current policy for dealing with Hamas is a resounding success.

Olympic Torch - Believe it or not, the torch relay is still trudging along. The Olympic torch arrived in Jakarta amid tight security as authorities prepared for a relay in a sports stadium in the Indonesian capital. Indonesian authorities have deployed about 2,500 policemen and about 1,000 members of the military to guard the torch relay, which has drawn a wave of anti-China protests during stopovers in Europe and the Americas following Beijing's crackdown last month on protests in Tibet. The relay had originally been due to pass through large stretches of the bustling city, but sports officials announced earlier this month the route would be restricted to the vicinity of the Bung Karno Sports Complex in central Jakarta. So basically, the torch relay is going to consist of a few laps around a track in a sports stadium. That sounds nice. Just how the torch relay organizers planned it, I'm sure.

Pope - Pope Benedict XVI is safely back in the security and serenity of the Vatican now, and all of those souls who prayed for him and protected him during his six-day stay in the U.S. can offer a sigh of relief. He spoke up in the most forceful terms against the Roman Catholic Church's performance in dealing with sexual abusers. He admitted that some elements in the church had not acted nearly strongly enough to weed out the sinners and to punish them. He expressed deep shame. Everywhere the pope went, he appeared to make friends, whether it was President Bush traveling out of the White House to the airport for the first time to greet up a foreign leader, or New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg saying of the pope that they were buddies now. I'll confess, that as a self-described disenfranchised Catholic, I didn't have high expectations for the pope's visit accomplishing very much. I was very much mistaken. I caught portion's of the pope's mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in New York and the prayer service at ground zero. You couldn't help but notice how moved the pope was by the reception he received and the consolation that he offered to those that lost family and friends on September 11. My hats off to Benedict XVI. You gave us something that we were in desperate need of--hope and faith.

What Caught My Eye Today

Pope - The leader of the world's Roman Catholics has been to the White House only once in history. That changes this week, and President Bush is pulling out all the stops: driving out to a suburban military base to meet Pope Benedict XVI's plane, bringing a giant audience to the South Lawn and hosting a fancy East Room dinner. Bush has never before given a visiting leader the honor of picking him up at the airport. In fact, no president has done so at Andrews Air Force Base, the typical landing spot for modern leaders. The Bush-Benedict get-together will be the 25th meeting between a pope and a sitting president. The first did not come until shortly after the end of World War I, when Woodrow Wilson was received at the Vatican by Pope Benedict XV in 1919. The next wasn't for 40 more years, when President Eisenhower saw Pope John XXIII in Rome. President Carter hosted the first White House visit by a pope, when John Paul II came in 1979. Since then, such audiences have become a must-do. Every president has met with the pope at least once, often more. This week makes Bush the record-holder, with a total of five meetings with two popes. So like what's the deal here? Does Bush have a guilty conscience about something or what? And following along those lines, I suppose if you are going to go big on the guilt, you might as well attempt to go big on the absolution. And who is bigger than the Pope? Dude, that confession is going to take a long, long time.

Iraq - Iraq's government moved to restore discipline within the ranks of the security forces, sacking more than 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted during recent fighting against Shiite militias in Basra. The Basra offensive — which opened on March 25 — quickly stalled amid strong resistance from the outnumbered militiamen, despite artillery and air support provided by U.S. and British forces. During the attack more than 1,000 security troops — including a full infantry battalion — refused to fight or joined the militias, handing them weapons and vehicles. Well honestly, what's worse--desertion or knowingly looking the other way while Shiite militias went about their business? I'm thinking the guys that deserted had more honor than the troops that looked on while the violence escalated. At the same time, Iraq's Cabinet ratcheted up the pressure on anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr by approving draft legislation barring political parties with militias from participating in upcoming provincial elections. Yeah, I bet that has al-Sadr quivering with fear. I'm not saying he's going to be in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize any time in the foreseeable future, but al-Sadr has done more to quell the violence than the Iraqi government--or even the U.S. military, for that matter--so I'm not so sure legislative threats are the smartest play here.

Food - The president of the World Bank urged immediate action to deal with mounting food prices that have caused hunger and deadly violence in several countries. After a meeting of the bank's policy-setting committee, he said that the fall of the government in Haiti over the weekend after a wave of deadly rioting and looting over food prices underscores the importance of quick international action. He went on to say a rough analysis the bank estimates that a doubling of food prices over the last three years could potentially push people in low income countries deeper into poverty. The head of the International Monetary Fund also sounded the alarm on food prices, warning that if they remain high there will be dire consequences for people in many developing countries, especially in Africa. As if those poor slobs needed any more bad news. Let's see here. They live in the midst of an AIDS pandemic; they are in constant fear of getting caught up in the violence of warring militias; their governments are overrun with corruption; and to top it all off, now they are slowly starving to death. Kind of puts your lot in life into proper perspective, doesn't it?

Italy - For regular readers of this blog, this next item will come as no big surprise, and perhaps even a bit amusing. For the rest of you, carry on. Italians fed up with the governing class and a stagnant economy voted in early parliamentary elections that could return conservative billionaire Silvio Berlusconi to power. A sense of malaise hung over the elections, with Italians pessimistic that the ruling class — dominated for years by the same key figures — can offer much chance of change. I see there is some common ground between the United States and our Italian friends. I don't have much hope for our upcoming elections either. The election comes three years early due to the premature collapse of Romano Prodi's left-wing government. Italy has a history of political instability, with more than 60 governments since World War II. Whoever wins will face Italy's perpetual dilemma — improving the economy, the world's seventh largest. It has underperformed the rest of the euro zone for years and the International Monetary Fund forecasts growth of 0.3% this year, compared with a 1.4% average growth for the 15-country euro area. With all these problems, who in their right mind would actually want this job in the first place? Whoever wins likely won't be around for that long anyway. This is the 62nd (or something like that) general election Italy has conducted since 1945. By contrast the upcoming 2008 presidential election will be the United States 16th.

Golf - We'll start with the big headline at The Masters--Tiger Woods did not win. With that out of the way, here is the rest of the story. Trevor Immelman handled the wind and pressure of Augusta National far better than anyone chasing him Sunday to win the Masters, the first South African in a green jacket in 30 years. A two-putt par on the final hole gave him a 3-over 75, matching the highest final round by a Masters champion. Even so, it was good enough for a three-shot victory over Tiger Woods. Woods never got within five shots of the lead when he was on the course, twice missed birdie putts inside 8 feet and had to settle for a 72 and his second consecutive runner-up finish in the Masters. Can you say, "SLUMP"? Woods closed with a 72 and has finished 3-2-2 in his last three Masters. It also was his fifth runner-up in a major. Immelman earned $1.35 million for his second PGA Tour victory. So that is that. No grand slam for Tiger. With that said, bring on the U.S. Open. After all, 3 out of 4 would still be one hell of a year, even for Tiger.

What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Here are two fascinating perspectives on who the stronger Democratic candidate would be between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you look at the election in terms of the Electoral College, Hillary Clinton would come out on top. The general election will hinge on the winner-take-all system of electoral votes (Remember how the 2000 election turned out?) If the Democratic primaries were conducted the same way, Clinton's victories in the bigger states woiuld give her 1,743 pledged delegates to Obama's 1,257.

And now for the Obama supporters...

Imposing a winner-take-all system on the Democratic primaries would make them less democratic, not more. The current system--allocating delegates based on the proportion of votes the candidates receive--provides the purest measure of support and Obama is winning the popular vote. In addition, of the 17 swing states that "will likely determine the Democrats' fate" in November, Obama has so far won 9 in the primaries to Clinton's 5.

Well I'm glad the clears everything up.

Zimbabwe - This just goes to show that despite the ills of the U.S. economy, things can always be worse, and in this case, are. Zimbabwe's currency is melting down so quickly that the government has introduced a 10 million dollar bill. As of last week, 10 million Zimbabwe dollars could buy two rolls of toilet paper. I don't want to make light of a clearly dire situation, but I'm going to anyway. You know we sometimes use the expression 'a zillion dollars' to describe something that is expensive. This term may actually start to apply in Zimbabwe if the situation deteriorates much further.

Education - Two of the four finalists in this year's NCAA college basketball tournament had graduation rates among the nations lowest for male students with basketball scholarships. The University of Memphis (which lost to Kansas in the championship game and single-handedly destroyed my brackets) has a 30% graduation rate, what at UCLA (which I had winning the tournament) has a 29% graduation rate. Let's be objective about this shall we? Those scholarships aren't really intended for education, but rather as stipends until these guys can secure NBA contracts. I mean honestly, why else would you bother with college when playing ball is what you were meant to do?

Blogging - Here's a cautionary tale... A prominent technology blogger filing posts from home around the clock, knowing that the size of his audience and his livelihood depended on a steady stream of news and opinions about new products, recently realized that he was exhausted and took a day off. He then dropped dead of a massive heart attack. Well now, that sucks. In the past few months, three bloggers have suffered coronaries, two fatal. The news has caused a wave of self-examination in the community of thousands of professional bloggers, some of whom work up to 20 hours a day, providing "content" for their websites. Fueled by protein supplements and endless cups of coffee, they pride themselves on thriving under the stress of their cutting-edge jobs. And this, my friends, is why I strive to be the least that I can be. If success means working 20 hours a day only to be rewarded with a heart attack or death, dude, chalk me up as a failure.

Golf - Yes, I know, the Masters started 2 days ago and I haven't mentioned it once. And hey, correct me if I'm wrong, but no one has ever won the Masters before Sunday. As we go to print today some dude I've never heard of, Brandt Snedeker, is atop the leaderboard mid way through the third round at 8-under par. Phil Mickelson is in fifth place at 5-under par, and our boy, Tiger Woods is one stroke back of Mickelson at 4-under (and 3-under through 14 holes today). Rumor has it conditions tomorrow are going to be wicked bad as a storm front passes through and the winds kick up. I say its anyone's tournament to win at this point, though I still won't bet against Woods.

What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's note: If you get the sense that some of these stories sound familiar, you would be correct...not to mention well-informed on current events. If not, then this will all be new to you, so enjoy.

Interrogation Techniques - Bush administration officials from Vice President Dick Cheney on down signed off on using harsh interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality. And this surprises who? The officials also took care to insulate President Bush from a series of meetings where CIA interrogation methods, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, were discussed and ultimately approved. Ah yes, the old 'plausible deniability' strategy. At times, CIA officers would demonstrate some of the tactics, or at least detail how they worked, to make sure the small group of "principals" fully understood what the al-Qaida detainees would undergo. The principals eventually authorized physical abuse such as slaps and pushes, sleep deprivation, or waterboarding. The small group then asked the Justice Department to examine whether using the interrogation methods would break domestic or international laws. Call me crazy, but if they had to ask in the first place, don't you think that they already knew the answer to the question. My sense is that they were asking the Justice Department to find (or maybe fabricate) a loop hole. For those of you to who this applies, doesn't all this just make you so proud to be American?

Iraq - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he sees no chance that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will drop to 100,000 by the end of the year, guaranteeing a heavy American military presence as the war grinds into its sixth year to the end of the Bush presidency. Forgive me if I sound like a broken record but, this comes as a surprise to who? President Bush said General David Petraeus, his top commander in Iraq, can take "all the time he needs" to consider further withdrawals after the latest round of cutbacks is completed in July. Well that's awfully big of him. Bush also called on Congress to send him a spending bill for Iraq that does not include any timetables for troop withdrawals or exceed the $108 billion he has requested. Democrats want to add money to stimulate the economy with road-building funds, additional unemployment benefits, a summer jobs program and additional food stamp benefits. Bush said he would veto the bill under those conditions. Hillary Clinton said the American people have run out of time and patience on Iraq which Barack Obama said Bush had to reduce rotations because the Army told him they couldn't sustain the current rotation schedule. So to summarize: (1) Bush: "Stay the course" and "Gimme more money with no strings attached." (2) Petraeus: "Dude, I'm just doing what the guy in the White House ordered me to do." (3) Democrats: "Crap, we can't override Bush's veto...again" (4) Clinton / Obama: "When will he/she drop out so I can claim the nomination?"

Air Travel - American Airlines has canceled about 570 flights scheduled for Friday, raising to more than 3,000 the number this week it has grounded to reinspect the wiring on its MD-80 fleet for a second time. The disruption has affected more than 300,000 passengers, including Friday's schedule cuts, and wreaked havoc with its operations at big airports like Chicago and Dallas. The inspections relate to a 2006 FAA order to ensure that wiring in the MD-80's right wheel well is properly installed and secured to guard against electrical shorts and fire. The FAA, under pressure from Congress and government watchdogs to step up oversight, demanded in March that American reinspect MD-80s to ensure wire bundles were properly secured. Here's what I don't get. I'm not saying that the planes shouldn't be checked to ensure that they are safe, but do the planes all have to be grounded at the exact same time? Clearly there are not enough bodies to have accomplished this in one fell swoop, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about a third day of cancellations. But, yeah, this way is much better. That way only the public is being inconvenienced.

Olympics - I was tempted to use the old 'everyone likes to watch a train wreck' analogy, but this situation has gone so far beyond that at this point. Crisis. Disarray. Sadness. Four months before the opening of what was supposed to be the grandest Olympics in history, the head of the International Olympic Committee is using words that convey anything but a sense of joyous enthusiasm. The protest-marred Olympic torch relay and international criticism of China's policies on Tibet, Darfur and human rights have turned the Beijing Games into one of the most politically charged in recent history and presented the IOC with one of its toughest tests since the boycott era of the 1970s and '80s. When Beijing was seeking the games, Chinese officials said the Olympics would help advance social change, including human rights. The IOC called that a "moral engagement" and stressed there was no "contractual promise whatsoever" on human rights in the official host city contract. Far be it from me to split hairs (yeah, right), but what exactly does "moral engagement" mean? And if human rights are not included in what we consider to be moral, then I think we have bigger problems to sort out.

American Idol - My apologies for not getting my bottom three picks published before the results were announced. Trust me when I say, that this week's loser was not in my bottom three. American Idol delivered its first shocker when Michael Johns, who had ascended to front-running heartthrob status recently, was eliminated. Most observers, picked fellow bottom three members Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson to exit. But it was Johns, who sang Aerosmith’s Dream On Tuesday, whose Idol dreams ended. Proof positive that American Idol is in fact a popularity contest, not that talent competition it claims to be.

What Caught My Eye Today

Olympic Torch Relay - The Olympic torch played hide and seek with thousands of demonstrators and spectators crowding San Francisco's waterfront before being spirited away without even a formal goodbye on its symbolic stop in the United States. Oh I don't know. I think it's almost fitting that the torch limped in and out of the United States. Talk about making a statement--I think this speaks volumes. The last-minute changes to the route and the site of the closing ceremony were made amid security concerns following chaotic protests in London and Paris of China's human rights record in Tibet and elsewhere, but they effectively prevented many spectators who wanted to see the flame from witnessing the historic moment. Say what you will about the tactics, but if anything bad had gone down, local officials would have been crucified for lack of planning. As it made its way through the streets of San Francisco, the flame traveled in switchbacks and left the crowds confused and waiting for a parade that never arrived. Protesters also hurriedly changed plans and chased the rerouted flame. At the opening ceremony, the first torchbearer took the flame from a lantern brought to the stage and held it aloft before running into a waterfront warehouse. A motorcycle escort departed, but the torchbearer was nowhere in sight. Officials drove the Olympic torch about a mile inland and handed it off to two runners away from protesters and media, and they began jogging toward the Golden Gate Bridge, in the opposite direction of the crowds waiting for it. More confusion followed, with the torch convoy apparently stopped near the bridge before heading southward to the airport. Okay, I'm confused just reading about how the torch relay went down. Mission accomplished. And onto Argentina we go.

Olympics - UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, however, he will be at the closing ceremony when the Olympic baton will be passed to London. A spokeswoman said Mr Brown had never planned to attend the opening ceremony and was not boycotting the Games. Right. Call me a skeptic, but all the spin doctoring in the world is not going to make this look good. Brown - who has been under pressure to boycott the Olympics over China's human rights record - has never specifically said he will attend the opening ceremony. His decision not to attend the opening ceremony was in keeping with his attitude to China's Olympics - that he has to do his duty without being seen as a supporter. The UK needs to be represented at the closing ceremony because London takes over from Beijing as the next Olympic city. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. So much for the Olympics being about sport rather than political statements. Where is the sport in all this political posturing? Unless...of course! I should have figured this out before.. Political posturing will be a 'demonstration sport' at the the 2012 Summer Games in London.

2008 Presidential Race - John McCain refused to rule out a pre-emptive war against another country, although he said one would be very unlikely. "I don't think you could make a blanket statement about pre-emptive war, because obviously, it depends on the threat that the United States of America faces," McCain said. The Iraq war was in the spotlight this week as General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander there, gave Congress a status report on the war. McCain argues for keeping troops in Iraq to capitalize on security gains, despite a recent outbreak of violence. His Democratic rivals, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton argue for withdrawing troops. Say what you will about McCain, the dude isn't afraid to speak his mind about rather unpopular subjects. Bottom line, anyone who becomes President will likely be confronted with this same dilemma. McCain is just being open about how he will deal with the possibility.

Air Travel - Boeing Co. pushed back its oft-delayed 787 jetliner by another six months postponing the jet's debut in commercial service until the third quarter of 2009, further jolting the company's credibility and likely costing it billions of dollars in additional costs and penalties. What I don't get is why Boeing thought it was going to avoid delays any better than Airbus did with the A380. At least the Airbus guys had control over their supply chain. The latest delays — the third revision to its delivery schedule and fourth switch in the plans for first test flight — underscore the problems Boeing is having keeping to a schedule while leaning heavily for the first time on outside contractors to do most of the manufacturing work. The aircraft touted for its potential to be more fuel-efficient than other large jets is now more than a year behind the original schedule. Actually, this isn't that big of a deal if you think about it. With all of the flight cancellations due to FAA inspection screw up, there might not be anyone left who's willing to put up with the headache of flying.

Eritrea - Lest you forgot--and you probably did--I reported on this African country that no one has ever heard of a couple of months ago. Seriously, check out my February 7, 2008 posting if you don't believe me. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned a new war could break out between Eritrea and Ethiopia if U.N. peacekeepers withdraw from a buffer zone along their disputed border. A 1,700-strong U.N. force has been monitoring a 15-mile wide, 620-mile long buffer zone between the two countries under a December 2000 peace agreement that ended a 2 1/2-year border war. The Horn of Africa neighbors have been feuding over their border since Eritrea gained independence from the Addis Ababa government in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war. Tensions between the two countries remain high because of Ethiopia's refusal to accept an international boundary commission's ruling in 2002 on the border demarcation. Eritrea's U.N. Ambassador dismissed warnings of a new war and said there was "no border dispute." Well this could prove problematic. The U.N. says that war is possible while one of the parties that would be involved in said war says there is no dispute. Of course, they didn't say that there wouldn't be a war. They just said there was no dispute. You know, I'm thinking this Eritrean dudes might be medal contenders in 'political posturing' in 2012. Think about it. The Olympic spirit knows no boundaries.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus told Congress that hard-won gains in the war zone are too fragile to promise any troop pullouts beyond this summer, holding his ground against impatient Democrats and refusing to commit to more withdrawals before President Bush leaves office in January. Security is getting better, and Iraq's own forces are becoming more able, Petraeus said. But he also ticked off a list of reasons for worry, including the threat of a resurgence of Sunni or Shiite extremist violence. He highlighted Iran as a special concern, for its training and equipping of extremists. Petraeus was told by a parade of Democrats that, after five years of war, it was past time to turn over much more of the war burden to the Iraqis. Those senators said Iraq will not attain stability until the United States makes the decision to begin withdrawing in large numbers and forces the Iraqis to settle their differences. I listened to a couple of hours of the testimony on NPR. Here's the Reader's Digest version of the proceedings:

• Military gains in Iraq: Fragile and reversible
• Political gains made by Iraqi government: Fragile and reversible
• Prospects for further gains for peace: Fragile and reversible
• Chances that we'll stay the course: Hell, yes. Why change things when they seem to be going so well?

2008 Presidential Race - The presidential campaign Hillary Clinton said that her husband, the former president, supports a free trade agreement with Colombia that she strenuously opposes. Always nice to see the happy couple working from the same script. The acknowledgment adds new hurdles to Clinton's bid to woo Democratic voters in Pennsylvania and elsewhere who believe free trade agreements have eliminated thousands of U.S. jobs. Bill Clinton has been his wife's most prominent campaign surrogate and advocate for months. A high point of his presidency was passage of the North America Free Trade Agreement, which his wife now criticizes at virtually every campaign stop. White House records show that as first lady Hillary Clinton attended several meetings designed to build congressional support for NAFTA in the early 1990s. She says she had reservations about the pact at the time, and made her feelings known in such gatherings. I would like to have been a fly on the wall for those conversations. And another thing, given that NAFTA was enacted, it certainly appears that Hillary wasn't terribly convincing in expressing her reservations to Congress. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't one of her claims for securing the Democratic nomination, that she's experienced in working with Congress? I'm just trying to get my facts straight.

U.S. Economy - Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. economy was in recession, and said it would be appropriate to tap public funds to resolve the mortgage-related crisis that has helped pull the economy under. Gee whiz, thanks for the tip, Al. Greenspan has in recent days made a series of public statements defending his record at the Fed in light of criticism that a long period of low interest rates and a laissez-faire oversight approach led to reckless market behavior that resulted in the sharp housing correction and the ongoing credit freeze. Ah, my mistake. He's not giving advice; he's covering his ass, I mean legacy. Funny how those two terms sometimes get confused.

Olympic Torch Relay - Several hundred supporters of Tibet marched through the streets of San Francisco to criticize China before the Olympic torch is run through the city the next day. Think of these protests as warm-ups for the real deal tomorrow. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said he had been in contact with French and British officials to gain insight on how the city should handle protesters. Given the success--or lack thereof--of these to cities to conduct an orderly relay, maybe Newsom should look for advice from other sources. Many human rights groups have mobilized in San Francisco, the only U.S. city to host the Olympic torch as it makes its way to the games in Beijing in August. Some oppose China's rule in Tibet, others Beijing's policies toward Darfur and Burma, and others are concerned with issues such as animal rights. And still others will use any excuse to get out of going to work.

South Korea - A Russian capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut and two cosmonauts blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, en route to the international space station. South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, 29, is the world's youngest-ever female astronaut. The South Korean government has a $20 million deal with Russia to co-sponsor the flight in exchange for Yi's trip. She was among 36,000 applicants for the job in a 2006 nationwide competition, and plans to conduct 18 scientific experiments during her nine days on the space station. I hear the screening process was brutal. First, applicants had to post a 30-second video on YouTube saying, "why I want to go to space." Then, they had to sing in front of Simon, Paula, and Randy, who selected the final 24 candidates. After that, they were divided into two tribes on a deserted island and had to compete in various physical challenges, until only one cosmonaut-survivor was left. On top of all that, there was the small matter of make sure that $20 million check cleared. Dude, I hope the trip is worth it.

What Caught My Eye Today

Polygamy - More than 400 children, mostly girls in pioneer dresses, were swept into state custody from a polygamist sect. I say it's a cult, but I'll let you judge for yourselves. The members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints spent their days raising numerous children, tilling small gardens and doing chores. The community emphasized self-sufficiency because they believed the apocalypse was near. Of course it was. The women were not allowed to wear red — the color was said belonged to Jesus Right. — and were not allowed to cut their hair. They were also kept isolated from the outside world. Gee, I wonder why. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints broke away from the Mormon church after the latter disavowed polygamy more than a century ago. Okay, so like if these guys are too radical for the Mormons. I'm thinking red flag. I'm all for freedom of religion, but dude religion is a far cry from cult. And if it looks like a cult, walks like a cult and talks like a cult--it's probably a cult.

Olympic Torch Relay - Paris' Olympic torch relay descended into chaos with protesters scaling the Eiffel Tower, grabbing for the flame and forcing security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus past demonstrators yelling "Free Tibet!" The relentless anti-Chinese demonstrations ignited across the capital with unexpected power and ingenuity, foiling 3,000 police officers deployed on motorcycles, in jogging gear and even inline skates. Uh, so I can see duping a couple of dim witted officers, but 3,000? My goodness, that cannot bode well for the reputation of Paris' finest. Chinese organizers finally gave up on the relay, canceling the last third of what China had hoped would be a joyous jog by torch-bearing VIPs past some of Paris' most famous landmarks. These guys couldn't possibly have deluded themselves into believing that this torch relay was going to go off without a hitch, could they? France's former sports minister, Jean-Francois Lamour, stressed that though the torch was extinguished along the route, the Olympic flame itself still burned in a lantern where it is kept overnight and on airplane flights. A Chinese official said that flame was used to re-light the torch each time it was brought aboard the bus. Well that's a relief. Think about the weirdness there would have been if the flame actually went out. They'd have to go back to Ancient Olympia and start the whole darned thing all over again. Police had hoped to prevent the chaos that marred the relay in London a day earlier. There, police had repeatedly scuffled with activists and 37 people were arrested. Beijing organizers criticized the London protests as a "disgusting" form of sabotage by Tibetan separatists. In San Francisco, where the torch is due to arrive Wednesday, three protesters wearing harnesses and helmets climbed up the Golden Gate Bridge and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. If the Chinese thought things were chaotic in London and Paris, wait until they come to Frisco. As a Bay Area native, I feel I can say this with some degree of credibility--we're certifiably nuts.

Princess Diana - Princess Diana and her lover Dodi al-Fayed were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of their chauffeur and paparazzi photographers pursuing them into a Paris road tunnel 10 years ago, an inquest ruled. You don't say. Here I was thinking that her life was cut short according to the letter of the law. On the evening they died, Diana and Dodi fled from the back entrance of the Ritz Hotel in Paris in a futile effort to avoid swarms of paparazzi photographers. They pursued the couple on high-powered motorbikes into the Alma tunnel and took pictures of the dying princess in the wrecked Mercedes after it smashed into pillar 13. Dodi's father, luxury store owner Mohamed al-Fayed, had accused Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip, Diana's former father-in-law, of ordering British security services to kill her and stop her marrying a Muslim and having his baby. Henri Paul, the chauffeur, was an employee of the Ritz Hotel, owned by al-Fayed. Paul died in the crash. The jury foreman said in court: "The crash was caused, or contributed to, by the speed and manner of the driver of the Mercedes and the speed and manner of the following vehicles." The foreman said contributing factors were: the fact Paul's judgment was impaired by alcohol, Diana was not wearing a seat belt and that the car hit a pillar. Both French and British police inquiries concluded the crash was a tragic accident caused by Paul being drunk and driving too fast. Well there you have it; another tragic case of drunk driving. Still, one wonders why it took ten years to come to this tidy little conclusion. Too tidy if you ask me. You know, I bet the conspiracy theorists are right. It was a cover-up, darn it. How else can you explain why it took 10 years and $20 millions to come up with that same result as a simple blood test?

Colombia - President Bush sent Congress a controversial free trade agreement with Colombia — a move that will force lawmakers to vote within 90 days on the pact, which is heavily opposed by Democrats. There's a big surprise. Democrats contend that Colombia has not done enough to halt violence, protect labor activists and demobilize paramilitary organizations. The president disagrees, saying Colombia has addressed the issues. The president, who has staked out free trade as one of his top legacies, is also hoping to win congressional approval before he leaves office on pending free trade agreements with Panama and South Korea. I thought the Iraq war was going to be Bush's legacy. But I suppose useless trade agreements with countries that contribute next to nothing to our economy is just as good. Today, nearly all of Colombia's exports enter the United States duty-free, while American products exported to Colombia face tariffs of up to 35% for nonagricultural goods, and higher tariffs for many agricultural products. Bush said failure to approve a free-trade deal with Colombia would encourage Venezuela President Hugo Chavez's anti-American regime and cast the United States as untrustworthy and impotent across South America. Ah, so there's the real reason. Bush just wants to piss in Chavez's pool.

What Caught My Eye Today

Pope - In his visit this month to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI will find an American flock wrestling with what it means to be Roman Catholic. That's putting it mildly, to say the least. In a nation founded by Protestants, Catholics comprise nearly one-quarter of the population. Catholic America is the biggest donor to the Vatican. The U.S. also is home to more than 250 Catholic colleges and universities. About one-third of the more than 64 million U.S. Catholics never attend Mass, and about one-quarter attend only a few times a year. A majority never go to confession or go less than once a year. There's an added urgency to this visit. While it will be Benedict's first trip to the country as pope — he made five visits when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — it may also be his last. He turns 81 during his visit to Washington and New York, and he has less interest in travel than his globe-trotting predecessor, Pope John Paul II. I can't fault the pope for his reluctance to travel. With the security lines, overbooked and cancelled flights, and lost luggage, who needs the headache? Just pick up the phone. It's so much easier. And let's be real about the reason for his visit. The pope has no illusions about try to start a revival of Catholicism in the United States. Though while he's here, I'm sure he will take the time to ensure that the flow of donations to the Vatican doesn't stop.

2008 Presidential Race - Today's entry applies 'six degrees of separation' to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Be forewarned that there will be no Kevin Bacon associations...sorry. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have at least one thing in common: the Jolie-Pitts. Hillary and Angelina are distant cousins--ninth cousins twice removed. Barack and Brad are also ninths cousins. Wait, it gets better or weirder, depending on your perspective. Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent, can also claim Celine Dion and Madonna as cousins. Obama can claim relations with Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and Dick Cheney. One almost feels bad for Cheney (note the sarcasm). Not only does he have a lesbian daughter, but now he's related to a black dude. Oh the shame. What's a self-respecting conservative to do?

Olympics - The International Olympic Committee has no regrets about its "wise choice" of Beijing to host the Olympics. China, which won the right to host the Olympics in 2001, faced a public relations crisis last month after it rigorously clamped down on monk-led marches in Tibet. IOC President Jacques Rogge said the opportunity to bring the Games to the world's most populous nation meant the IOC had made the right choice. Well honestly, what else could he have said. "Oh crap, we screwed up. The Chinese really are mean. I guess we better cancel the Olympics." Yeah, right. The crackdown and China's jailing of a Buddhist Chinese dissident who spoke out over Tibet and other sensitive topics have angered non-governmental organizations who condemn China's behavior and accuse the IOC of staying silent. IOC has vigorously defended its policy of non-involvement in politics, but did say that Beijing's poor air quality might affect athletes' performance. Makes perfect sense to me. We mustn't let politics get in the way of sport, though the fact that many of the athletes may not actually be able to breathe, well that's just a hurdle we'll tackle when we get to it. You know if these IOC guys aren't careful they may be confused with another group of inept bureaucrats--the United State Congress.

Pop Culture - America has developed a geeky obsession with fonts, the latest instance of our sophistication about design. Come again? Basic font knowledge has become mandatory for anybody in the know. Even Barack Obama has a custom font. Today, there are tens of thousands of typefaces available to buy and download and anybody with a few bucks and some time can learn how to create their very own font. Well, I will agree on this point. One would have to be rather geeky (not to mention a narcissistic loser) to spend the time to create one's very own personal font. Fonts can convey tone, spirit or mood. Studies show that different fonts can be interpreted as friendly, rigid, cold, et cetera. They may even influence whether something is interpreted as casual or professional. Should you be interested--and God help you if you are--Obama chose the modern classic Gotham for his logo which designers say is the best crafted of any politician's in history. Meanwhile, Hillary's font is described as a 'snooze of a serif'. Girlfriend just cannot cut a break can she?

What Caught My Eye Today

U.S. Military - The Bush administration plans to announce that U.S. soldiers' combat tours will be reduced from 15 months to 12 months in Iraq and Afghanistan beginning later this summer. The move to shorter deployments has been pushed by Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, as a way to reduce the strain on troops battered by long and repeated tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. But that goal has been hindered by the ongoing security demands in Iraq. Top military leaders made it clear to President Bush in a closed-door meeting late last month that they are worried about the war's growing strain on troops and their families. Don't you just hate when reality gets in the way of a perfectly good war? Speaking of reality sucking... In a related move Friday, Democrats signaled that they don't see much hope in ending the Iraq war this year so long as Bush insists U.S. troops remain committed there in large numbers. And how long did it take these rocket scientists to figure this out? Since Democrats lack a veto-proof majority, they have repeatedly failed to force Bush to accept any anti-war legislation, including one measure supported by many Republicans that would have required that troops spend more time at home between combat tours. And Congressional leaders wonder why their approval ratings are stuck in the cellar. Here's a radical idea. Seeing as the voting public put you in office in the first place, maybe you could see fit to actually doing what the public wants. A foreign concept to the White House, to be certain, but you guys got in on the promise of change. So change something, will you?

Doomsday - Sounds kind of ominous, don't it? Relax, it's probably much ado about nothing. Still one wonders... A scientist in Hawaii has filed a federal lawsuit seeking a stop-work order on the Large Hadron Collider, contending that it could conceivable create a black hole and swallow up the Earth. That would be bad. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator and Hadron collider located at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. It is currently in the final stages of construction. The LHC will become the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator.[2] The LHC is being funded and built in collaboration with over two thousand physicists from thirty-four countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories. When activated, it is theorized that the collider will produce strangelets, micro black holes, magnetic monopoles and supersymmetric particles. Other than black holes, the rest of this stuff is completely foreign to me. Click here if you are interested in more information. As for me, if the Armageddon is just around the corner, I've got to get busy on some serious benders in the penthouse suite at some high-end Vegas resort.

Education- Here's another indication of just how much America's educational system has deteriorated. Students at the University of Texas drew up an "honor code," in which they pledged not to cheat or commit plagiarism. Seems harmless enough, even noble, doesn't it. The students accomplished this by copying an honor code in effect at Brigham Young University, which itself was copied from one at Clemson University. There is a saying that suggests imitation is a form of flatter, but I guess that doesn't apply in this case.

Fish - Scientists are developing a farm-bred fish that can be released into the open sea after being trained to swim back when it's time to be turned into food. The farmed black sea bass hear an underwater tone every time they're fed, conditioning them to swim toward the tone whenever it is sounded. The plan is to train the bass long enough that they'll remember the tone after weeks or months of feeding and growing in the open see. In theory, when the sound is sett off, they'll swim back to an underwater cage and be caught. If the experiment works, aquaculturists could raise better-tasting fish more cheaply, with less food and waste. Is it just me or is this whole idea more than just a little bit creepy? First of all, there is this whole "step into the light" metaphor that keeps popping into my head. And let's suppose this notion actually works. What's to stop someone from trying to duplicate the same behavior with more sophisticated life forms, like say humans. I'm not sure that would be too difficult to pull off. People can be rather susceptible to a herd mentality--monkey see, monkey do.

Music - First Mariah Carey tops Elvis for #1 hits, and now Rick Astley is making a comeback. Dude, maybe that black hole isn't such a bad idea after all. It's been more than 20 years since Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" topped the Billboard Hot 100, but it is once again infiltrating the public consciousness thanks to the phenomenon known as "RickRolling." I swear that I only report the stuff; I don't make it up. Around March 2007, bloggers and online social networkers started casually linking to the song's nostalgically '80s music video via YouTube. RickRolling was a psych-out for readers who would click on tantalizing hyperlinks, only to fall prey to a young Astley's blonde bouffant and idiosyncratic dance moves. They're kidding, right? The movement has spurred digital sales for the track, which has sold at least 1,000 downloads per week since late December and peaked with 2,500 sales the week of March 9. On April Fools' Day, YouTube RickRolled users by linking to the video on all of its home-page features. Other online outlets like Sports Illustrated and Live Journal followed suit. Altogether, the video was viewed 6.6 million times in one day, generating 43,000 user comments and boosting the track to No. 77 at Amazon's download store. Oh my God, they aren't. That's it. I cannot take anymore. Fred has left the building.