What Caught My Eye Today

Zambia - Never good news when a head of state dies while in office, and to do so on foreign soil, again, usually not a promising development. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa died at a hospital in Paris nearly two months after suffering a stroke, Zambian and French officials confirmed. He was 59. I'm sure this has nothing to do with the quality of health care in France. Seriously, if it was, why would dude have gone to France in the first place? Mwanawasa fell ill in late June at an African Union summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. President Bush issued a statement mourning the loss of Mwanawasa, described as "a champion of democracy in his own country and throughout Africa. As President of Zambia, President Mwanawasa launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign and dedicated himself to improving the welfare of all Zambians," according to the White House statement. Admittedly, I don't claim to know much about the African political scene, but before Mwanawasa's death, when was the last time we heard anything about this guy. I don't recall his name being mentioned as a player in any of the recent affairs going on in Sudan, Zimbabwe, or anyplace else on the continent. Of course, one could chalk that up to what the press deems newsworthy enough to write about.

2008 Presidential Race - Barack Obama's newly minted running mate will be hitting the trail this Saturday. A senior Obama adviser said Obama and his VP choice will appear together in front of the former state Capitol in Illinois where Abraham Lincoln once served. The last time Obama appeared there, early in 2007, he announced he was running for president. Surely, just a coincidence. The disclosure narrowed the window for Obama to reveal his running mate. The campaign says the announcement will come in a cell phone text message to supporters. I'm not exactly sure I would classify this as surprising news. Bear in mind that the Democratic National Convention starts next Thursday. Did anyone think that Obama wouldn't have named his VP choice before the convention got underway? Should you be wondering who the the frontrunners are for the coveted VP slot, for Obama you're looking at Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and Delaware Senator Joseph Biden; and for John McCain you got Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former budget director Rob Portman and former Homeland Security Secretary and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.

Money - I bet you think the biggest problem with money is not having enough. Well, my friends, you be wrong. Americans are the biggest cocaine users in the world according to a recent study of paper currency from around the world, which found more cocaine residue on U.S. dollars than any other country. Wait, it gets better. Cocaine is not the only substance you'll find on currency. Most dollar bills, which circulate for about 21 months, show traces of E. coli and other disease-causing bacteria. There's a comforting thought.

Sweden - I just love this country. The Swedish agency that monitors gender equality has begun an investigation of the state-run pharmacy for allegedly selling 'sex toys' suitable only for women. Too many jokes come to mind. I'll just keep going with the story. After sexual aids became available at state pharmacies, numerous complaints came in from men who said the selection excluded them. The pharmacy said there are simply no good sexual aids for men on the market. Maybe, just maybe, these guys need to look at this situation from a slightly different perspective. The right toy at the right time in the hands of the right women...I guarantee you, that the payoff for the next dude she sees will make all that inequity seem like a distant memory.

Olympics - Okay, I'll admit it...I starting to get the teensie-weeniest fatigued from all this coverage. Nevertheless, here's today's little morsel. When track and field athletes set new world records at the Olympics or other major competitions, 35% of people suspect that the winners used performance-enhancing drugs. Could that be because 35% of the athletes did? Of all Olympic athletes, sports fans are more suspicious of weight lifters, runners, cyclists, and gymnasts. Now that I think about it, I don't recall any of the 20 world records setters in swimming being associated with any suspicions of doping. I wonder why.