What Caught My Eye Today

Gaza - I don't want to suggest that things were particularly great in the Gaza Strip before this latest round of violence, but given the current situation, "dire" would actually be an improvement. Israel obliterated symbols of Hamas power on the third day of what the defense minister described as a "war to the bitter end." Hyperbole like this certainly isn't likely to improve matters. The three-day death toll rose to at least 315, with some 1,400 wounded. The U.N. said at least 51 of the dead were civilians, and medics said eight children under the age of 17 were killed in two separate strikes overnight. Israel launched its campaign, the deadliest against Palestinians in decades, on Saturday in retaliation for rocket fire aimed at civilians in southern Israeli towns. Israel's Cabinet approved a call-up of 6,500 reserve soldiers Sunday in apparent preparation for a ground offensive. Again, actions like this are unlikely to be viewed as overtures of diplomacy. The assault has sparked diplomatic fallout. Syria decided to suspend indirect peace talks with Israel, and the U.N. Security Council called on both sides to halt the fighting and asked Israel to allow humanitarian supplies into Gaza. The carnage inflamed Arab and Muslim public opinion, setting off street protests in Arab communities in Israel and the West Bank, across the Arab world, and in some European cities. If you are wondering where the U.S. stands on this issue, I draw your attention to the fact that there is nary a mention of the U.S. in this story. Frankly, this doesn't come as much of a surprise to me. Seriously, it's not as if America's actions around the world over the past 8 years provide us with much of a moral high ground to criticize the excessive tactics of Israelis.

Somali - The president of Somalia's U.N.-backed government, Abdullahi Yusuf, resigned amid deepening international pressure, a move that could usher in more chaos as a strengthening Islamic insurgency scrambles for power. Yeah, there's another feather in the U.N.'s cap. Yusuf is the latest leader to have failed to pacify Somalia during two decades of turmoil. The Horn of African country has been beset by anarchy, violence and an insurgency that has killed thousands of civilians and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing for their lives. There have been more than a dozen attempts to form an effective government since 1991. Meanwhile, all public institutions have crumbled and the once-beautiful seaside capital is now a gun-blasted shantytown. Oh sure, if you wan tot focus on the negative, I suppose those are all valid statement. I, for one, prefer to focus on the positive. For example, no one bothers to mention the burgeoning piracy industry off the Somali coast. How about some props for those swashbuckling lads? But enough about that. let's get back to this Yusuf bloke. Remember this dude was initially backed by the United Nations. Yusuf, a former Somali army colonel in the 1960s has been accused of being an obstacle to peace. Earlier this month, he tried to fire his prime minister, but was rebuffed by parliament. The U.N. envoy to Somalia, who has been trying to salvage an ineffective peace deal in the country, lauded Yusuf's resignation and said "a new page of Somalia history is now open." I have no doubt that his resignation is in the best interest of the Somali people, but I find it fascinating how the U.N. has no problem throwing its proverbial "guy" under the bus. Maybe if they examined his credentials with a bit more scrutiny, they may have been able to foresee this train wreck before it happened.

Pakistan - Here's a welcome shift in political rhetoric. Pakistan's army chief stressed the need to avoid conflict with India, days after he ordered troops toward the rivals' shared border amid tensions following last month's terror attacks on Mumbai. Of course, one questions how dude reconciles those statement with a massive troop build up on the border with India. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani made the remarks to a top Chinese diplomat who was visiting Islamabad to try and ease the situation between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India. Kayani's remarks were believed to be his first about the tensions with Pakistan's traditional rival and could help reassure a jittery region that the country does not intend to escalate the crisis further. India blames Pakistani militants for the slaughter of 164 people in its commercial capital and has not ruled out the use of force in its response. Pakistan's civilian leaders have said they do not want war, but will retaliate if attacked. Depending on your perspective, especially if you are Pakistani, this troop build up could be viewed purely as an act of prudence to protect its borders rather than as provocation against India. I'm pretty sure no one--India included--wants to see that happen. But there's another angle to this story that caught my attention. Did you notice that the peace broker in this conflict is China and not the United States? Obviously, we cannot be everywhere at once, but I think it a sign of the changing political landscape, particularly in Asia, that China is emerging as the major player in the region. And by the looks of things, China seems more than ready to assume that role.

Economy - Better break out the tissues for this last item. It's a real tear jerker. Mory's, a legendary Yale eating and drinking club that traces its roots to the Civil War, has a powerful membership that includes two presidents named Bush. Foreign leaders and movie stars such as Al Pacino, Paul Newman, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks and Jodie Foster have patronized the club. But Mory's has fallen on tough economic times and has temporarily closed and laid off its employees. The club may not reopen after the winter break. The club had an endowment of about $2 million a few years ago that was "crushed" in the financial meltdown. Mory's was already struggling as Yale students and faculty increasingly turned to the trendy restaurants and bars that have opened in recent years in New Haven. Secret Service agents were regulars outside the club, which has drawn royalty from Jordan to Belgium. With more than 14,000 members, Mory's calls itself the largest private club in the world. A lifetime membership costs $2,000; until the 1970s it was just $15. Mory's is planning to get a new chef and update its menu. It is trying to raise $200,000 to $300,000 and develop a business plan to return to profitability. The club has also reached out to its lifetime members and asked them to voluntarily start paying annual dues. Given its clientele, I'm thinking that sum should be relatively easy to achieve. If not, Mory's could always apply for some of that TARP bail out money. If you ask me, the money would be just as well spent on resurrecting a bit of history as it would basically giving "get out of jail free cards' to those financial sectors jerks who screwed hundreds of thousands of people with unscrupulous business practices. But that's just my opinion.

What Caugh My Eye Today

Christmas - Nice to know that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could take time out of his busy schedule to wish the world a Merry Christmas. The world's troubles are rooted in a rejection of God and if Jesus Christ lived today he would stand up against bullying powers, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. The message was broadcast on the BBC Christmas evening as an alternative to the traditional Christmas television and radio address from Queen Elizabeth. Yeah, I'd say that's definitely an alternative. Here are some excerpts from our jolly old friend. "The crises in society, the family, morality, politics, security and the economy ... have come about because the prophets have been forgotten, the Almighty has been forgotten and some leaders are estranged from God. If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly he would stand with the people in opposition to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers. Maybe something got garbled in the translation, but those sentiments don't exactly scream 'Merry Christmas' to me. Then again, this is Ahmadinejad that we're talking about. Maybe next yea he'll just send out a cheesy newsletter like the rest of us.

Speaking of Christmas, it would seem that the Christmas spirit was short-lived in many places around the world.

Gaza - Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of airstrikes, killing more than 200 people and wounding nearly 400 in the single bloodiest day of fighting in years. The offensive began eight days after a six-month truce between Israel and the militants expired. The Israeli army says Palestinian militants have fired some 300 rockets and mortars at Israeli targets over the past week, and in recent days, Israeli leaders had threatened to launch a major offensive. I know that hindsight is 20-20, but I'm thinking that someone should have been working on an extension to that truce. It's not like this sort of thing hasn't happened before. I have a hard time believing that anyone would be delusional enough to think that Hamas and the Israelis would somehow have worked out all their differences during that last truce. More than likely both sides probably used that time to replenish their stockpiles of weapons, which they are now using with wreckless abandon.

Pakistan - Pakistan told India it did not want war and was committed to fighting terrorism — a move apparently aimed at reducing tensions after Pakistan moved troops toward their shared border. Gee whiz. Why would India have been alarmed about that? Intelligence officials said that the army was redeploying thousands of troops from the country's fight against militants along the Afghan border to the Indian frontier — an alarming scenario for the West as it tries to get Pakistan to neutralize the al-Qaida threat. Many analysts have speculated that the assailants who carried out the Mumbai attacks sought to distract Pakistan by redirecting its focus toward India and away from the military campaign against al-Qaida and Taliban militants on the Afghan border. Say what you will about these terrorists, but this particular ploy certainly appears to be working. Pakistan's latest moves, including the troop redeployment, were seen as an indication that it will retaliate if India launches air or missile strikes against militant targets on Pakistani soil — rather than as a signal that a fourth war between the two countries was imminent. Maybe someone could explain to me the difference between a retaliation and a war. I'm thinking that if Pakistan feels compelled to retaliate against India, India will probably retaliate right back, thereby creating a vicious cycle of retaliations from both sides. In my book, that's pretty much a war.

Zimbabwe - International aid agencies warned that Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis is deepening, with a sharp rise in acute child malnutrition and a worsening cholera epidemic. President Robert Mugabe's government has acknowledged the collapse of Zimbabwe's health system, but he also claimed earlier this month that the epidemic had been brought under control and that there was "no cholera" in the country. So let me see if I've got my facts straight here. International aid agencies are disputing claims made by that bastion of truthfulness, Robert Mugabe, that the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe is over. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't read it. The World Health Organization said that 1,518 people have died of cholera and a total of 26,497 cases have been recorded since the start of the outbreak in August. The U.N. agency said more than two-thirds of deaths occurred in December. The percentage of cholera patients dying from the disease has risen to 5.7% from 4% at the beginning of the month, the agency said. Normally only 1% of patients die in large outbreaks. Usually I would applaud a population that manages to overachieve despite having the odds overwhelmingly stacked against it. Unfortunately, as seems to always be the case in Zimbabwe, things can and in fact are getting worse.

What Caught My Eye Today - Christmas Eve Edition

Santa - To all you stupid heads, poo-poo faces and other naysayers who don't believe in Santa--first of all, go piss off. Secondly, I have irrefutable proof that you jerks are wrong. If Santa Claus didn't exist do you think the folks at the North American Air Defence (NORAD) would wast their time tracking Santa's trek around the world (click here)? I think not. So there.

Barack Obama - Yo, Vladimir Putin! Check this out. Now us Americans have a buffed out head of state too. "FIT FOR OFFICE: Buff Bam is Hawaii hunk," the New York Post gushed on its cover above a photo of the future president strolling without a shirt in Hawaii. The Drudge Report called him "President Beefcake" while TMZ said the president-elect is "still humble enough to do laundry — ON HIS ABS!" High praise indeed. Obama's physique has been well-exposed; photographers snapped him body surfing in Hawaii during the campaign. He was on the November cover of Men's Health and detailed his workouts for the magazine: 45 minutes, six days a week, alternating weights and cardio. And check this out. In between workouts, Obama plans to be the leader of the free world. Is this guy superman or what?

Economy - I haven't reported on the economy in awhile, but lest you feared otherwise, it still sucks. New claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected, while consumers cut back on their spending for the fifth straight month amid a deepening recession. The government reported that the overall economy, as measured by gross domestic product, was declining at an annual rate of 0.5% in the July-September quarter. Analysts believe the contraction will accelerate in the current quarter. Some are forecasting that GDP will plunge at an annual rate of 6%, which would be the worst showing since 1982. I usually try to look at things from a "glass half full" perspective, but it gets rather challenging to do so when said cup is bone dry.

Zimbabwe - You have to appreciate the irony of this next story. Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu said that the international community must use the threat of force to oust Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe from office. See what I mean? Tutu said that he hopes African Union members can be persuaded to issue Mugabe an ultimatum, threatening to intervene if he continues clings to power in the ailing nation and said Mugabe should also be warned that he could face prosecution at the International Criminal Court for his violent suppression of opponents. Somehow I don't think Mugabe will care too much about these threats, assuming the unlikely event that the international community comes to an agreement to do so. Here's a dude how seems completely unfazed by a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 1,100 people and sicked hundreds of thousands more. Still, it saying something when a situation deteriorates so much that a Nobel Peace Prize winner advocates the use of force to deal with it.

Alaska - A giant snowman named Snowzilla has mysteriously appeared again this year in Anchorage, Alaska despite the city's cease-and-desist order. For the last three years, Snowzilla — to the delight of some and the chagrin of others — has been a very large feature in an Anchorage native's front yard. In 2005, Snowzilla rose 16 feet. He had a corncob pipe and a carrot nose and two eyes made out of beer bottles. This year, Snowzilla is estimated to be 25 feet tall. He's wearing a black stovepipe hat and scarf. City officials this year deemed Snowzilla a public nuisance and safety hazard. A cease-and-desist order was issued. Seriously, what do they put in the water up there? A cease-and-desist order for a freakin' snowman. Lighten up, for crying out loud. It's Christmas.

What Caught My Eye Today

Severance - U.S. employers shed 533,000 jobs in November and used almost as many euphemisms to describe the layoffs. Yet no matter how much wordsmithing was used, the poor schleps on the receiving end still found themselves in the same quandary--without a paycheck. These days the code words go beyond "downsizing" and "rightsizing". "Rightsizing"? That's a new one for me. Nokia referred to its 9,000 cuts as "synergy-related headcount adjustment goal." Come again? A few weeks earlier, eBay talked about "actions to simplify our organization.". Then there's "offboarding" and "reduction in force," which in its acronym form (RIF), has become a verb in management circles. And these jerks wonder why the rank-and-file despise them. They cannot even be bothered to use whole words to get rid of us. The list goes on, including such phrases as "rationalizing," "surplusing," "de-verticalization," and "strategic review of strategies. These last few don't even make sense. Lest you think that this is a U.S. phenomenon, here are a few choice selections from around the globe. In Hong Kong terminated workers are said, "to have one's squid cooked". In China, workers are asked to xia gang or "to step down". In Japan, terminations are called risutora or "restructuring". And in France, it is referred to as a un plan social or "social plan". I'm sorry, but I don't think I would want my employer to cook my squid. Losing my job is bad enough. Let's leave my squid out of this.

Driving - Driving in America has undergone its most dramatic decline in history. Americans drove 100 billion fewer millions during the 12-month period ending October 2008 compared with 2007. I'm sure that $4 a gallon gas had nothing to do with that. Some have suggested that the fact that the trend has persisted even as gas prices are dropping confirms that America's travel habits are fundamentally changing. Or maybe, that those 533,000 newly unemployed workers don't have jobs to drive to anymore.

Arms Sales - American companies sold $32 billion in weapons to world markets last year, making in the planet's top arms dealer. High praise, indeed. In fact we sell double what the #2 country does--that would be Russia. But wait, here comes the best part of this story. More than half of the top 25 customers in the developing world are listed by the State Department as undemocratic or engaged in human rights abuses. You might recognize some of these 10 ten buyers as some of our "closest friends" #1 - India (not a big surprise); #2 - Saudi Arabia (got protect those oil supplies); #3 - China (yeah, that makes sense); #4 - UAE (we don't want "The World" sitting around all unprotected); #5 - Pakistan (we cannot arm India and forget about Pakistan); #6 - Egypt (I'm okay with this); #7 - Israel (the only surprise here is that Israel is this far down the list); #8 - South Korea (take that Kim Jong Il); #9 - Syria (why?); #10 - Venezuela (again, why?)

Mustard - Here's another sure signal that civilization as we know it has completely imploded. Dijon, the capital of Burgundy that has been famous for mustard since the 1600s, is losing its last mustard maker. Sacre bleu and Zut alors. Quelle horreur. Citing high costs as the 97 year old Amora Maille plant, Anglo-Dutch group Unilever, says it will halt production by the end of 2009 and move to a lower-cost site. Dijon-style mustard gets its distinctive taste from a juice made of unripe grapes. "Dijon" can be used on mustard made anywhere. And so it shall. Now does anyone else appreciate the irony that the owner of the last genuine Dijon mustard isn't even French.

Internet - As if us men weren't challenged enough in the romance department. Men looking for romance must now contend with a new rival: technology. 46% of women say they would rather go without sex for two weeks than go that long without Internet access. Only 30% of men would make the same trade-off. Yeah that stings. The male ego is fragile at best. This certainly doesn't help. At this rate, we might have to resort to drastic measure to keep our women happy. That's right guys, you know what I'm talking about. We may actually have to "spoon".

What Caught My Eye Today

Top Stories of 2008 - These according to the Associated Press:

1. U.S. ELECTION: Barack Obama emerged from Election Night the first black president of the United States.
   And if that wasn't enough, Obama was named Time magazine's Person of the Year and might single-handedly be responsible for a baby boom--we'll find out next August
2. ECONOMIC MELTDOWN: The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
   We're not quite sure what to call this recession, though if you ask me, my vote goes for "The Great Bailout"
3. OIL PRICES: The price of crude soared as high as $150 a barrel in July before crashing to $33 this month. In the U.S., the average price for a gallon of regular gas peaked at $4.11, then plunged below $1.70.
   Funny how gas prices seem reflect current market condition but those fuel surcharges that the airlines are charging are still in force.
4. IRAQ: The much-debated "surge" of U.S. troops helped reduce violence after more than five years of war. A newly ratified U.S.-Iraqi security agreement sets a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal by 2012.
   One of the few things Bush finally got right and something that John McCain was right about all along. In both cases, it was too little, too late.
5. BEIJING OLYMPICS: China hosted the Olympics for first time.
   Also known as the Michael Phelps show. I hear the gift basket that NBC sent him for delivering such high ratings was quite something, including that dinner at the all-you-can-eat Sizzler salad bar.
6. CHINESE EARTHQUAKE: A huge quake in May killed 70,000 people in Sichuan province and left 5 million homeless.
   Ironically, this tragedy probably saving the Olympic Games for China. Up to that point the torch relay and the situation in Tibet was setting the Games up for potential disaster.
7. SARAH PALIN: Republican John McCain's running mate.
   Likewise, the gift basket that Palin got from the producers of Saturday Night Live was also rumored to have several gift cards redeemable at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
8. MUMBAI TERRORISM: Ten attackers allegedly sponsored by a Pakistan-based Islamic group terrorized India's financial capital in November, killing 164 people.
   If you are keeping track, we're now up to 3 September 11-esque attacks: the U.S. (the original), Spain (train attack), and now India (hotel attack). So tell me again, who is winning the war on terror?
9. HILLARY CLINTON: Came closer than any other woman in U.S. history to becoming a major party's presidential nominee.
   As a consolation price, girlfriend will be the next Secretary of State. Ironically, she'll take a pay cut from what Condoleeza Rice makes for the same job.
10. RUSSIA-GEORGIA WAR: The two nations waged a five-day war in August ignited by a Georgian artillery barrage on the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
    My take is that Russia couldn't care less about South Ossetia. I'm thinking that Vladimir Putin just used this as an excuse that Russia isn't going to still idly by while NATO recruits former Soviet satellite states to act as a buffer zone between Russia and the West.

What Caught My Eye Today

Senate - It was a busy day on the soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat front. First up, a familiar family name in New York. Caroline Kennedy told New York's Governor David Paterson that she's interested in the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton, making her the highest-profile candidate to express a desire for the job. Kennedy is the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy. Her uncle, the late Robert F. Kennedy, once held the Senate seat she wants. Paterson has sole authority to name a replacement for Clinton. There's an interesting political tactic--being open about something you want. Those New Yorkers are always pulling crazy stunts like this.

Not like our reliable friends in Chicago, who know what politics are really about. Speaking of which, how you doin' Governor Blagojevich? Blagojevich's political isolation intensified Monday evening, with the Illinois House voting 113-0 to create a bipartisan committee that will study the allegations against Blagojevich and recommend whether he should be impeached. Not so good, huh? Democrats in the Senate shelved action on a special election to fill Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, for now leaving the decision in Blagojevich's hands. Then again, you could sell that Senate seat to the highest bidder to help pay for your legal bills. I'm serious. It's not like his reputation can get much worse. What credibility does the man have left. He might as well make a little coin.

Spider Webs - Work with me here. This next story has an interesting angle to it. The tiny tangled threads of the world's oldest spider web have been found encased in a prehistoric piece of amber. A British paleobiologist said the 140-million-year-old webbing provides evidence that arachnids had been ensnaring their prey in silky nets since the dinosaur age. He also said the strands were linked to each other in the roughly circular pattern familiar to gardeners the world over. Spider experts believe that webs were developed even earlier, but the delicate gossamer threads rarely leave any trace. Amber, or fossilized tree resin, can occasionally conserve bits of web — an earlier find in Lebanon was dated to 130 million years ago. Okay, so here's the angle I was alluding to. If scientific artifacts like this spider web are genuine--and this one certainly appears to be legitimate, along with one 10 million years younger--what does that say about the merits of intelligent design? Scientific theory suggests that man is approximately 6 million years old. Call me crazy, but a lot of evolving can take place over 130 million years. Creationism suggests that "reliable science" places the existence of mankind at somewhere between 8,000 and 25,000 years; thereby supporting the premise of intelligent design. Me? I'm going with the former. I just find it hard to believe that if life has been around for in excess of 140 million years, that we dim-witted simpletons, known as homo sapiens have managed to scratch out an existence for more than 25,000 year. Call me an optimist.

Golf - Tiger Woods said he was disappointed by his caddie's disparaging comments in New Zealand newspapers about Phil Mickelson, whom Woods referred to as a "player I respect." Steve Williams was quoted in the Taranki Daily News as saying he wouldn't call Mickelson a great player "because I think he's a (expletive)." I read in another source that '(expletive)' translates to 'prick'. Williams said that his original comment about Mickelson was not in an interview. "I visit a lot of golf clubs and do a lot of speaking for charity, and that is one of the questions I get asked the most — what is Tiger's relationship like with Phil Mickelson. I was simply honest and said they don't get along." And there's more... "I don't particularly like the guy myself," he said. "He pays me no respect at all and hence, I don't pay him any respect. It's no secret we don't get along, either." I'm thinking that Tiger was pissed not because of what Williams said--dude probably hit the nail on the head--but because Williams said it in a public venue. Tiger has a reputation to protect, and this sort of think certainly won't help matter. Tiger is already hitting Mickelson where it hurts most--winning pretty much one in three tournaments that he enters. Woods doesn't need any trash talking to aid his cause. Maybe Stevie should concentrate on carrying bag and reading the putts.
American Idol - Seems like forever since David Cook pulled that stunning upset over David Archuleta, doesn't it? Fear not, those withdrawal symptoms will abate in just a few more weeks. Fox's hit talent contest will open its eighth season with a two-night, four-hour premiere on January 13-14. "American Idol" will cut the number of weeks featuring nationwide tryouts from four weeks to three and will bring more contestants to Hollywood to compete — 36 men and women compared to the two dozen of past seasons. Amen to that. Personally, I think they could get away with a one night special dedicated to the talentless hacks that sucked bad enough to warrant airtime. The group will be winnowed down to 12 finalists, with nine chosen by audience voting and three wild-card singers selected by judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and a previously announced newcomer, singer-songwriter Kara DioGuardi. I gotta let you, I've never heard of this broad (then again, I had never heard of Simon Cowell or Randy Jackson either). Though from what I can tell from her bio, girlfriend is quite the songwriter (click here).

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - On a whirlwind trip shrouded in secrecy and marred by dissent, President George W. Bush hailed progress in the wars that define his presidency and got a size-10 reminder of his unpopularity when a man hurled two shoes at him during a news conference in Iraq. Bush ducked both shoes as they whizzed past his head and landed with a thud against the wall behind him. In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt. I bet the Secret Service got an earful after that news conference. And I'm sorry, but throwing a shoe is the best you guys can come up with. How boring and--yes, I'll say it--juvenile. Bush visited the Iraqi capital just 37 days before he hands the war off to his successor, Barack Obama, who has pledged to end it. The president wanted to highlight a drop in violence in a nation still riven by ethnic strife and to celebrate a recent U.S.-Iraq security agreement, which calls for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011. "The war is not over," Bush said. Thanks for the tip, Mr. President. In many ways, the unannounced trip was a victory lap without a clear victory. He does have a history of doing that sort of thing. Anyone remember that "Mission Accomplished" stunt he pulled more than five years ago? Bush then flew to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan for a rally with U.S. and foreign troops. I heard the war isn't over there either.

Speaking of Afghanistan...

Afghanistan - The men around Lindsey Graham ignored his powerful political title — U.S. senator — and instead addressed him by rank — colonel. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and the only U.S. senator in the military's Guard or Reserves, donned the Air Force's camouflaged uniform for five days last week to serve in Kabul. In Kabul, he worked with the staff of military lawyers at the U.S. base Camp Eggers. The office is helping to train military judges and defense lawyers, and to write Afghanistan's uniform code of military justice. Graham said his experiences in the military taught him how difficult wartime deployments can be on families. He figured all that out after five days? Wow this guy must be a genius or something. The rest of the troops who are serving need 12 to 15 month deployments to come to that same conclusion. On a serious note, I have no problem whatsoever seeing our nation's leadership get a taste of what our men and women are subjected to in carrying out the orders of the civilian leadership in Washington.

Ecuador - Ecuador is to default officially on billions of dollars of foreign debt it considers "illegitimate." Yeah, I tried that once with my mortgage holder. They were not amused. President Rafael Correa said he had given the order not to approve a debt interest payment due on Monday, describing the international lenders as "monsters". The president said that some of Ecuador's $10 billion debt was contracted illegally by a previous administration. Dude, the same thing happened to me, I swear. I never intended to fully pay my mortgage to those "monsters". It is the first debt default by a country in Latin America since 2001. The country's foreign debt amounts to about a fifth of its Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. Analysts say Ecuador's decision to effectively cut itself off from outside financing could lead to a budget shortfall, especially if the price of oil - the country's main revenue earner - continues to fall. Oil is Ecuador's main source of income and accounts for 40% of the national budget. Bad news on that front for Ecuador, I'm afraid. Oil slipped below $46 a barrel this past Friday and shows no signs of rebounding.

Santa Claus - Lest you had forgotten, Christmas is just around the corner. The folks at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) certainly haven't forgotten. In advance of the holiday season and its 50th year of tracking Santa Claus on his annual journey around the world, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has activated its "NORAD Tracks Santa" website for 2008. The program began in 1955 when an errant phone call was made to NORAD's predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The call was from a local child who dialled a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper advertisement. The commander who answered the phone that night gave the youngster the information he requested - the whereabouts of Santa Claus - and thus the tradition of tracking Santa began. When CONAD became NORAD in 1958, the new command assumed the responsibility of tracking Santa's journey around the world. The program has grown immensely since it was first presented on the Internet in 1998. In 2007, the NORAD Tracks Santa website received 10,660,838 unique visitors from 212 countries and territories around the world. I had just about written off the military, and then I read this. If they're going to go through the trouble to track Santa's travels on Christmas Eve--I know I've been a good lad this year--then I say those are tax dollars well spent.

What Caught My Eye Today

Presidential Transition - It appears that we Americans aren't the only ones looking forward to Barack Obama taking office in January. Barack Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, predicted the new president would quickly be tested by a dangerous world. That test might come from anywhere, but attention has focused on North Korea, Iran, Russia and Venezuela, and the al-Qaida terror group. Since his election, Obama has filled his national security team with centrists and relative hawks — a possible warning not to underestimate him. Nothing wrong with a strategy of speaking softly and carrying a big stick (in the form of Robert Gates). It worked rather well for Teddy Roosevelt. Already there are signs that some of America's most strident foes are not eager for a fight. Plunging oil prices have slammed the economies of Russia, Venezuela and Iran; health issues surround Kim Jong Il, the reclusive leader of North Korea, and have forced the retirement of Cuba's Fidel Castro; Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is facing a stiff re-election fight in 2009 amid double-digit unemployment and 30 percent inflation. Ah yes. It's a amazing what a crap global economy can do to take the fight right out of you. Boy is Obama lucky or what. Hmmm. Maybe he's too lucky. Maybe, creating a global economic meltdown was all part of an elaborate plan for Obama to become President on his way to becoming "KING OF THE WORLD!". Or maybe not.

Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe accused the West of waging biological warfare to deliberately start a cholera epidemic that has killed hundreds of people and sickened thousands. Now, now, let's try to be objective about this. I'm thinking that this accusation is coming from Robert Mugabe rather than the entire Zimbabwean population. Those poor slobs have enough to deal with; they probably don't have much interest in participating in the lunatic rants of their incompetent president. The state-run newspaper said comments by the U.S. ambassador that the U.S. had been preparing for the cholera outbreak raised suspicions that it was responsible. After the first cholera cases, U.S. and other aid workers braced for the waterborne disease to spread quickly in an economically ravaged country where the sewage system and medical care have fallen apart. Zimbabwe also faces a hunger crisis, the world's highest inflation and shortages of both the most basic necessities and the cash to buy them. That that proves it. Obviously this was a Western plot. Why else would we be going through all this trouble the ramp up medical assistance for a nation wrecked by a cholera epidemic and widespread starvation. It's a classic diversionary tactic. We screw with the basic necessities of the people, blame the government--who we don't like much anyway--for the woes of the people, then position ourselves as the white knight; all the while keeping our fingers crossed that the people--who we messed with--rise up and kick the leadership out of office. I don't know. That seems like a bit of a stretch to me. Especially considering the fact that Zimbabwe has nothing that we want.

Central America - Central American countries agreed to form a common currenty and issue a common passport for their citizens. I wonder what they'll call the currency. Euro is already taken; plus it doesn't really fit. I know. How about the "cento"? Leaders from Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Nicaragua also pledged to create a a joint credit fund to help their region weather the global financial meltdown. The countries did not specify a timetable for implementing their common currency and passport. Well if memory serves me correctly, it took the European Union the better part of 40 years to take shape. Then again, we're talking about those zany Europeans who cannot agree on anything. I'm sure things will go much more smoothly for our friends south of the border.

Christmas - The Vatican's tallest Christmas tree is twinkling in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican says the 109-foot red spruce from Austria's Piesting Valley is the tallest since Pope John Paul II started the tradition of setting up a tree in the square in 1982. Whatever happened to that often overlook virtue of temprance? Bigger isn't always better, you know. Oh sure, if you talking about sex, that's one thing. But this is the Catholic Church we're talking about. What do they need to compensate for? It is decorated with 2,000 gold and silver balls, white lights and a shining star. It stands next to a larger-than-life-sized Nativity scene which will be unveiled Christmas Eve.

What Caught My Eye Today

Portugal - An offer by Portugal to take in detainees released from Guantanamo Bay will bring the U.S. closer to its goal of closing the offshore military prison. That's awfully neighborly of the Portuguese. As many as 50 of the roughly 250 inmates remaining at the U.S. Navy base in southeast Cuba would risk mistreatment if sent back to countries such as China, Algeria and Syria, according to human rights groups. The U.S. has described a lack of resettlement options for them as an obstacle to emptying the prison. Portugal's gesture marks a breakthrough in efforts to find new homes for detainees who would risk persecution or torture in their native countries. I hate to sound like a skeptic, but one wonders if Portugal's motives are completely altruistic. Seriously, these are not model citizens we're talking about in Cuba.Thus far, Albania is the only country that has accepted Guantanamo detainees on humanitarian grounds. If I was a detainee, I'm not sure that I would view Albania as much of an improvement over Guantanamo Bay. Still, I applaud any efforts that will lead to the closure of this prison camp.

Nigeria - Tell me if this sounds familiar. Nigeria's Supreme Court will decide whether the election of President Umaru Yar'Adua was legitimate, a ruling that could bolster his power or mean political chaos in Africa's most populous nation. Of course there are one or two minor differences between this contest and a certain presidential race back in 2000. The court is widely expected to uphold Yar'Adua's landslide victory in the April 2007 general election, despite widespread allegations from foreign and local observers that the vote was flawed. Like I said, there are a few subtle differences. Back in 2000, the vote was certainly flawed, especially in Florida, but the overall result was much closer. Come to think of it, there's another difference. Back in 2000, the dude with fewer votes won. The judgment, against which there can be no appeal, should put an end to nearly two years of legal wrangling that has limited Yar'Adua's authority and unnerved foreign investors in sub-Saharan Africa's second biggest economy. If the court upholds Yar'Adua's victory, the president will face growing pressure to speed up reforms such as fixing the country's shoddy power sector and improving security in the oil-rich Niger Delta. I'm not sure I follow the logic here. Assuming the voting was flawed--yeah, that would be a stretch--what makes anyone think that by ratifying the victory of the guy who was probably responsible for said flaws that he'll feel motivated to fix the woes of the nation. Oh sure, I hope he will, but I fail to see how sanctioning a stolen election will make that any more likely to happen.

Climate Change (Part I) - European Union leaders closed in on agreements for a 200 billion euro plan to combat the recession and a climate change package. The EU's climate-energy package, the "20-20-20" deal, seeks to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, make 20% energy savings and bring renewable energy sources up to 20% of total energy use. This "20" seems to be a rather prominent figure. I wonder if there is anything to it. I did some checking on the numerological significance of 20 and here's what I came up with. If you add up the digits 2 and 0, you get 2 which suggests "balance, union and receptiveness." And if you happen to be Chinese, 2 is considered a good number as well--as in "good things come in pairs". Then again, maybe 20 was just a nice round number that everyone could agree to.

Climate Change (Part II) - Economic downturn and $40 billion deficit be damned. California is going green. California adopted the nation's most sweeping plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions despite warnings that the plan will put costly new burdens on businesses at a time when the economy is in extreme crisis, with California forecasting a staggering budget gap of $41.8 billion through mid-2010. One major piece of the plan is contingent on the federal government giving California the go-ahead to force automakers to build cleaner cars and trucks. The Bush administration has blocked that law from taking effect, but California officials hope the Obama administration will reverse course. California, the nation's most populous state, has long been in the vanguard of the environmental movement, adopting the nation's toughest restrictions on auto pollution decades ago. Because of its size and market clout, its decisions can have effects far beyond the state, with manufacturers around the country often adapting their products to meet California's stricter standards. Being from California, you'll have to forgive my bias--I say, screw the rest of the country. If we're going to take it on the chin and do what's right for the environment, I say the rest of the country should suffer just as much as we will. So what if they get bent out of shape over the fact that we're affecting their lives without them having any say in the matter. This is the environment we're talking about.

What Caught My Eye Today

Monaco - Next up on our list of victims from the global economic meltdown--Monaco. Monaco has shelved a multi-billion-dollar plan to extend the tiny Mediterranean principality into the sea due to the global economic crisis and environmental concerns. Oh the humanity. How much suffering can we be expected to endure. The huge artificial peninsula would have been the size of 20 soccer fields, packed with housing, shops and tourist facilities. It had drawn comparisons with the artificial islands off Dubai. The development would have increased Monaco's territory by 5% and was expected to cost between $5 and 10 billion. The densely populated Mediterranean city state - made rich by tourism and banking - has little room for new building on its narrow strip of land trapped between a steep hillside and the stunning French Riviera. Don't your hearts just bleed for these poor schmucks? But, fear not. All is not lost. Other projects in the principality will continue, including a new hospital, two housing projects, and a yacht club. Thank goodness. The Riviera just wouldn't be the same without a shiny new yacht club for the annual jet-set regatta.

Abu Dhabi - Say what you will about these dudes, when they commit to doing something, they do it BIG time. Abu Dhabi has embarked upon an ambitious plan to build a zero-emission clean-tech centre in the desert. The world’s grubbiest people, measured by emissions of greenhouse gases per head, are the citizens of the United Arab Emirates. The country’s huge oil wealth allows many of them to drive big, fuel-guzzling cars and live in huge, power-guzzling homes. Abu Dhabi, the biggest of the country’s seven princely city-states, has a huge vested interest in the continued domination of the world economy by fossil fuels. It sits atop some 8% of the world’s proven reserves of oil. At current rates of extraction, the oil will last for another 92 years. In 2006 Abu Dhabi’s development agency unveiled the Masdar Initiative. The initiative consists of a research institute to develop environmental technologies, an investment arm to commercialise and deploy them, and an eco-city to house these two outfits and to serve as a test-bed for their ideas. It is Masdar city that has attracted the most scrutiny. To reduce its emissions, especially in such an unwelcoming environment, the city will employ all sorts of innovative and outlandish technology. All the buildings, naturally, will be supremely energy-efficient. Water will be recycled, to reduce the need for desalination. I hear they've already contacted NASA to buy one of those urine converters that is being tested out on the International Space Station There will be dew-catchers, rainwater harvesting and electronic sensors to raise the alarm in case of leaky pipes. There will be green spaces, but with drought-resistant plants rather than the thirsty lawns and flowers that are the norm in Abu Dhabi. No cars will be allowed. Instead, people will have to walk, or take "personal rapid transit"-—small pods that will zoom around the city on tracks, akin to metro cars for individuals. Goods will be moved in the same way. The city will be walled, to keep out the hot desert wind. So much for that ocean view. The lack of cars will allow for narrow, shaded streets that will also funnel breezes from one side of the city to the other. Roofs, canopies and a large patch of land on the edge of the city will be given over to solar panels. The city is already testing 41 types of panel from 33 different manufacturers, to see which work best in the sunny, hot and dusty desert conditions. There will also be the odd wind turbine, solar water-heaters and small waste-to-energy facilities (the city’s planners do not like to call them incinerators). Like I said, these guys don't appear to be fooling around. However, I'm not sure how big I'd consider this initiative. So far Abu Dhabi has invested $15 billion in this initiative. $15 billion? Peanuts. That's barely an economic bailout package.

Potpourri - Here's another installment in our on-going series of news tidbits.

• Nearly 300,000 people have applied for the approximately 7,000 available jobs in the Obama administration.
  Do you think that number would be as high if the unemployment rate wasn't so high. I hear public sector jobs don't pay that well...though the health care benefits are supposed to be rather good.
• Gas stations are making an average of 5 cents per gallon more in profit than they were when gas prices topped $4 a gallon. Gas prices have fallen 55% since July, but oil prices have plunged even further and gas stations are pocketing the difference.
  Honestly, can you blame them? Being a gas station operator these past several months had to be one of the lousiest jobs around. I know it wasn't their fault, but when I was paying $80 to fill up my tank, gas station attendants weren't real high up on my Christmas card list.
• Television watching has hit an all-time high, with the average American watching 142 hours of television a month, up 4% over last year. The average home now gets 119 channels.
  Where to begin? First, you'd think that with 119 channels, there would be something decent to watch...you'd think that, but you'd be wrong. Second, 142 hours? That doesn't seem too bad. On a good sports weekend, I'm good for almost half that amount. And lastly, I'm not sure this is that big of a surprise. When you are out of work and out of money, what else are you going to do to pass the time??

What Caught My Eye Today

Political Appointments - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested today after prosecutors said he was caught on wiretaps audaciously scheming to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat for cash or a plum job for himself in the new administration. Oh come on. No one could be that stupid. "I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden," the 51-year-old Democrat said of his authority to appoint Obama's replacement, "and I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing. I'm not gonna do it." Or maybe they can. One should never underestimate the seduction of power make someone do things beyond imbecilic. The FBI said in court papers that the governor was overheard conspiring to sell the Senate seat for campaign cash or lucrative jobs for himself or his wife. He spoke of using the Senate appointment to land a job with a nonprofit foundation or a union-affiliated group, and even held out hope of getting appointed as Obama's secretary of health and human services or an ambassador. Scratch that. This guy isn't stupid...he's complete leave of his senses. Just out of curiosity, Governor, why settle for secretary of health and human services? I hear that Secretary of Fantasyland is still up for grabs.

Greece - Masked youths and looters marauded through Greek cities for a fourth night in an explosion of rage triggered by the police shooting of a teenager that has unleashed the most violent riots in a quarter century. These poor Greeks just cannot catch a break. Last year, the country was literally going up in flames when hundreds of fires were deliberately set. The nightly scenes of burning street barricades, looted stores and overturned cars have threatened to topple the country's increasingly unpopular conservative government, which faces mounting calls for Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to resign. Well, heck, it worked in Thailand, why not try the same thing here? The government is already facing public discontent over the state of the economy, the poor job prospects of students and a series of financial scandals that have badly rattled public confidence. Greece is heavily dependent on tourism, which could decline as a result of the global economic crisis. Yeah, that also happened in Thailand. Thailand's economic outlook was life support before the political turmoil; now it's flatlined. Of course, Greece does have those righteous beaches and smokin' hot co-eds, some maybe tourism will survive this mess the same way it did after the wildfires of last year.

Cancer - Cancer will overtake heart disease as the world's top killer by 2010, part of a trend that should more than double global cancer cases and deaths by 2030. Rising tobacco use in developing countries is believed to be a huge reason for the shift, particularly in China and India, where 40% of the world's smokers now live. Well, that does make sense. After all, 40% of the world's population do live in China and India. An annual rise of 1 percent in cases and deaths is expected — with even larger increases in China, Russia and India. That means new cancer cases will likely mushroom to 27 million annually by 2030, with deaths hitting 17 million. By 2030, there could be 75 million people living with cancer around the world, a number that many health care systems are not equipped to handle. That also doesn't come as much of a surprise. Health care systems are already overwhelmed by the number of cancer cases that exist today. I'm thinking that adding fuel to a raging inferno isn't likely to help the situation.

Russia - In a somber service that echoed with ancient chants, Russia paid final tribute Tuesday to Patriarch Alexy II, who rebuilt the dominant Orthodox Church after 70 years of Communist repression but was sometimes criticized for forging close ties to the Kremlin. Chosen as patriarch in 1990, a year before the Soviet breakup, Alexy turned his church into the world's largest and richest Orthodox denomination — a remarkably successful effort to revive the enormous power the institution wielded before the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Alexy also renewed the church's historically close ties with the Kremlin, earning the church considerable financial support as well as privileges beyond those granted Russia's other officially recognized faiths. Since when has the separation of church and state, religion and politics not had a fair measure of gray area within which both found ways to influence the other? I'm sure that while the Kremlin got its back scratched, Alexy didn't exactly come out of the arrangement any worse off. Under Alexy, the church claimed about two-thirds of Russia's 142 million people as members of its flock and also controlled Orthodox churches in Ukraine and other ex-Soviet republics. The number of monasteries increased from 18 in 1988 to more than 700 today, and the number of churches reaches nearly 30,000. See what I mean? Liberals and leaders of other faiths expressed concern that the Orthodox Church sought too much influence over secular life and was too close to the state. Some criticized the Church's growing number of commercial ventures. Alexy's death left unresolved disputes with the Roman Catholic Church, reflecting both age-old and recent tensions between Russia and the West. I'm not so sure that things would have been much improved had Alexy remained in good health. Seriously, it's not like Pope Benedict XVI is known for his willingness to acknowledge that other faiths may be just as good as Catholicism.

Zimbabwe - As if things were bad enough for these poor slobs. Up to 60,000 people in Zimbabwe could be infected with cholera if the epidemic worsens, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. This is based on Zimbabwe having a population of 12 million. Half of the population could be at risk and of that half, there is a one percent cholera attack rate. One percent doesn't sound so bad, until you see that translates to 60,000 deaths. The cholera outbreak is part of a larger humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, in which half the population is in dire need of food and water. The crisis has sparked outrage in the international community, and leaders have blamed President Robert Mugabe for the problem. Mugabe is blamed for the economic collapse of the country, where the official rate of inflation is 231 million percent and the highest in the world. 231 million percent--how do you manage that? Heck, the U.S. Federal Reserve starts flipping out whenever our inflation rate nudges up around 3 or 4%. 231 million percent would likely make the Fed spontaneously combust.

What Caught My Eye Today

Canada - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper shut down Parliament in an unprecedented attempt to keep his government in power, fending off a no-confidence vote he was all but certain to lose. Harper successfully asked the unelected representative of the head of state for the power to close down Parliament until the end of January, hoping to buy enough time to develop a stimulus package that could prop up the economy. Governor General Michaelle Jean, who represents Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, granted the unusual request to suspend parliament. Had she refused, Harper would have had two choices: step down or face a no-confidence vote Monday he was sure to lose. Can you imagine what President Bush could have done with that sort of maneuver here in the good old U.S. of A.? I can see almost as clear as day--"Well doggone it, things here at home and abroad just ain't turnin' out the way I wanted 'em to. And you just know that pesky Congress is going to crawl up my butt over it. Unless...yeah, that's it! I'll suspend Congress. I never liked those varmits anyway. So, shoot, I'll just shut 'em down. Yessiree bob. I reckon I might just do that."

Switzerland - Quick, someone get me a tissue. I'm not surely I'll be able to keep my composure on this one. The annual list of Switzerland's richest people shows even the Alpine tax haven's super-wealthy aren't immune from the financial meltdown. The 300 richest Swiss residents — half of whom are foreigners — together lost 70 billion francs ($58.5 billion) last year. Their combined wealth is now 368 billion francs ($307 billion). Still, there's always a bit of good news... Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer made it onto the list for the first time this year. His wealth is estimated at 100-200 million francs ($83-167 million). Atta boy, Roger. You just keep hitting that little yellow ball over the net, and we'll keep sending those prize checks your way.

Crystal - Of course, there is no guarantee that Federer will be getting trophies to accompany those checks. Debt-ridden crystal and china maker Waterford Wedgwood PLC reported falling sales and increasing first-half losses and warned it could be forced to shut down if a major new investor cannot be found to bail it out. Waterford Wedgwood said it had been forced to ask its chief creditors for "forbearance" because the company can no longer pay its loans on time or in full. Here's a bit of double talk. I'm not sure if this next statement was intended to instill confidence or fear. Maybe you can... In a statement, Waterford Wedgwood said it remained confident of negotiating new loan repayment conditions and securing more private investment. Failure to achieve either one, it warned, "would compromise the group's ability to continue as a going concern." See what I mean? I suppose I could try to be a bit more sympathetic to this companies plight, but it's rather difficult. See, I've seen their latest patterns and all I can say is--dreadful, simply dreadful.

Georgia - Reveling in his reputation for earthy language, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin unabashedly confirmed a crude outburst against Georgia's president and even took the tirade a step further. If it was anyone other than Putin, I'd say this was actual news. However, it is Putin, so I'm not sure I see what is so surprising about this. A French magazine reported that Putin told French President Nicolas Sarkozy that he would hang Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili by the testicles. The remark came during the August war between Russia and Georgia. Okay, that's a little extreme, even by Vlad's standards. In a recent interview with Russian citizens, a caller asked Putin whether he would like to see Saakashvili "hanged by one of his body parts." "Why by just one part?" Putin responded. He went to accuse the Georgian president of setting off a bloodbath by attacking the Russian-supported breakaway province of South Ossetia. In Putin's defense, he was on a roll. I'm thinking he just got caught up in the moment. On second thought, he probably meant what he said. Maybe given more time to collect his thoughts, Putin could have come up with something even more colorful. Yeah, that's a comforting thought.

Norway - Finally, a bit of good news to wrap things up. And this truly is good news. Ninety-three countries signed a treaty banning cluster bombs, as diplomats accepted the wishes of victims who begged them to bar the weapons that kill and maim civilians long after the conflicts end. Now you may have notice that 93 countries signed the treaty, which means some did not. Want to hazard a guess as to which countries where missing from this treaty signing? Some of the world's top military powers — including the U.S., Russia and China — refused to attend, arguing cluster bombs have legitimate military uses, such as repelling advancing troop columns. Go figure. Under the accord signatories agree not to use cluster bombs, to destroy existing stockpiles within eight years, and to fund programs that clear old battlefields of dud bombs. The pact leaves open the door open for new types of weapons that could pick targets more precisely and contain self-destruct technology. The group Handicap International says 98% of cluster-bomb victims are civilians. Nearly a third of all victims are children. I wonder if these statistics are included in the arguments for "legitimate military use". Those 2% of non-civilian casualties must be some fiercely intimidating troops.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - A string of departures by the U.S. military's allies in Iraq is turning into an exodus as violence subsides and the end of a U.N. mandate permitting their deployment to the country approaches. I didn't know that there was anyone else left in Iraq, I mean besides us. Today an Azerbaijani contingent said goodbye at Camp Ripper in once volatile but now relatively tranquil Anbar province. Tomorrow, Tongan marines will celebrate their departure at Camp Victory in Baghdad. Okay, I know this is a bit off the mark here, but doesn't it sound odd to refer to a "Tongan marine"? I didn't know that the island nation of Tonga even had a military. Troops from Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea, Poland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Latvia and Macedonia have already bade their farewells in the past two months and Japan will end its air force mission flying supplies into Iraq this year. At its peak, the force that outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush called a "coalition of the willing" in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq included troops from 38 nations. But the overwhelming bulk consisted of U.S. soldiers. There are 146,000 U.S. and 4,100 British troops in Iraq now. Other nations have no more than 1,000. Based on these latest developments, I'm not sure the situation has changed very much. I find it hard to believe that withdrawals of Azerbaijan and Tonga are going to create much of a power vaccuum.

Auto Industry - The chief executives of the major U.S. auto companies prepared for make-or-break congressional hearings on their request for $34 billion in government bailout loans, while lawmakers considered options including one or more of the Detroit Three going bankrupt. The CEOs drove to Washington from Detroit after being criticized for flying in corporate jets to Washington last month to ask for billions of dollars in government loans. With boneheaded decisions like this, is it any wonder that these companies are on the brink of bankruptcy> GM, Ford and Chrysler each submitted separate plans that require individual responses. Ford wants a $9 billion line of credit that would only be tapped if the recession worsened and auto sales declined further. GM and Chrysler said they face possible failure if they do not receive government loans. GM wants $4 billion and Chrysler $7 billion by year's end. GM is also wants another $8 billion in early 2009 and a $6 billion line of credit if its cash position deteriorates further. Oh I see. It's okay for GM and Chrysler to make stupid business decisions and to expect the government to bail them out--or rather taxpayers. But, when some poor family cannot make its mortgage because of a job loss or because of an unscrupulous loan that was sold it if, we'll that's just a crying shame. And don't even get me started on the hand outs that the financial sector got. I've seen highway robberies at gunpoint that were less blatantly offensive than what Wall Street got away with.

Senate - Senate Democrats will be able to do plenty over the next two years -- despite falling just short of their goal of winning a majority big enough to end Republican procedural roadblocks. Republican Saxby Chambliss won re-election in a run-off contest in Georgia on Tuesday, preserving his party's ability to block legislation in the 100-member Senate with procedural roadblocks known as filibusters. Sixty votes are needed to override the roadblocks, which Republicans routinely invoked over the past two years to stop or at least slow down legislation they opposed. With one Senate race yet to be decided from the November 4 election -- votes in Minnesota are being recounted -- Democrats have gained seven seats, meaning they will have at least 58 when the new 111th Congress convenes. Senate Democrats will have the muscle, with the help of a few moderate Republicans, to pass a crush of bills, including ones to stimulate the economy, ensure equal pay for women, ease global warming, lower prescription drug prices for the elderly and change course in the Iraq war. I hate to sound like a skeptic...again, but this is the Senate that we're talking out. Popular mandate sounds all well and good, and heck, I'm glad the Democrats did well, but my point is that talk is cheap. We've heard this song and dance before, from both parties. If the Democratic-controlled Senate wants to impress me, they need to do something to fix the ills that our country faces. The good news for them (sadly) is that they have plenty to choose from.

India - If you thought things were messed up in Mumbai last week, you all haven't seen nothing yet. Oh sure, the terrorists have been either killed or captured, but the carnage is just beginning. I bring you act two of the drama--the blame game. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Pakistan to cooperate fully in the probe into the Mumbai attacks but she also warned India against any action that could stoke regional conflict. In a delicate balancing act aimed at curbing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, Rice said she had gone to India to show the Bush administration's solidarity and empathy with the Indian people after the attacks on Mumbai that killed nearly 200 people, including six Americans. Let me break that down for you. See we like India better than Pakistan--those dudes should have helped us capture Osama bin Laden--so we're going to put the squeeze of Pakistan. Why? Because we can, darn it. Plus, India is a much more lucrative ally than Pakistan will ever be. Pakistan has promised to act but insists it needs tangible proof, and has also indicated it will not accept an Indian demand to hand over 20 of its most wanted men that New Delhi says are living in Pakistan. What's all this? Tangible proof and not accepting India's demands? It almost seems like Pakistan feels like it has a say in this matter--the buffoons.

Hockey - Here's a rare gem from a sport that most Americans know much about...and surely care even less about. My beloved San Jose Sharks have opened the 2008-2009 NHL season by tying the all time record for most points through the first 25 games of the season. My boys are 21-3-1 (that's 21 wins, 3 losses, and 1 OT loss) with a league leading 43 points (that's 2 points per 21 wins, plus 1 point for the OT loss). In other words, to paraphrase my Boston brethren--how happen to know a fair bit about the game--my San Jose Sharks are wicked good this year. Of course, if they flame out in the second round of the playoffs, like they've done the past two seasons, then all this will matter for naught. Anyone remember 16-0 New England Patriots from last year? Me neither.

What Caught My Eye Today

Recession - The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) said its group of academic economists who determine business cycles met and decided that the U.S. recession began last December. Thanks for the tip. I'm not sure I would have noticed that the economy was in the toilet otherwise. The White House commented on the news that a second downturn has officially begun on President George W. Bush's watch without ever actually using the word "recession," a term the president and his aides have repeatedly avoided. Instead, a spokesman remarked upon the fact that NBER "determines the start and end dates of business cycles." Somebody certainly appears to be choosing their words very carefully. Seems to me that we're just splitting hairs here. The decision on the recession means that during the eight years that Bush has been in office, the country has seen two recessions. The first downturn lasted from March 2001 until November of that year. Then again, what president really wants to leave a legacy on not one, but two recessions--see I'm not afraid to call a spade a spade--on their watch.

Presidential Transition - President-elect Barack Obama picked a national security team headed by former campaign rival Hillary Clinton and Bush administration holdover Robert Gates. Obama named Clinton as Secretary of State and said Gates would remain as Defense Secretary, a post he has held for the past two years. Obama also introduced retired Marine General James Jones as White House National Security Adviser, former Justice Department official Eric Holder as Attorney General, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security and Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations. He now has selected half the members of his Cabinet, and is filling out the top echelons of his administration at an unusually quick pace during his transition as he seeks to fulfill his goal of being able to "hit the ground running" when he takes the oath of office on January 20. is it just me or do you think the Situation Room is going to look an awful lot like a trashed frat house with the first international crisis comes to a head. It will also be interesting to see how this U.N. Ambassador being re-elevated to a Cabinet level position plays out. In the Bush administration the U.N. Ambassador answered to the Secretary of State. Rice will still report to Clinton in the Obama administration, but technically she will be a peer to Clinton. In my experience, those dotted line reporting structures tend to lead to unnecessary, and sometimes ugly, turf wars. Let's just hope that Obama can keep some semblance of order in the playground.

India - India demanded Pakistan take "strong action" against those behind the 60-hour siege that left at least 172 people dead, as new details emerged about the gunmen and the survival training that enabled them to thwart Indian commandos. The United States called on Pakistan to fully cooperate with investigations into the attack, which has strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. One never likes to read about strained relations between countries that have a long history of distrust of each other, but when both countries happen to be in possession of a nuclear arsenal, that in all likelihood is pointed at the other, then you are really talking about a bleak situation. India's Home Minister resigned as more details of the response to the attack emerged and a picture formed of woefully unprepared security forces. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised to strengthen maritime and air security and look into creating a new federal investigative agency and promised to expand the commando force and set up new bases for it around the country. Maybe they could call the new agency the Homeland Security Ministry. That's basically what the United States did after the September 11 attacks. On a more serious note, I will be fascinated to see what investigators determine was the motivation behind these attacks which--let's be honest here--were conducted almost flawlessly.

Brazil - Brazil has announced a plan to reduce deforestation rates in the Amazon region by 70% over the next ten years. The plan follows a call for international funding to prevent further loss of the Amazon rainforest. The 70% figure comes from averaging levels of deforestation in the 10 years up to 2005, the plan aims to see a reduction in deforestation of nearly 6,000 square kilometers per year or about half the current annual rate of deforestation. You might be wondering why this is such a big deal; well, here is your answer... Just in terms of avoided deforestation in the Amazon, the plan foresees a reduction of 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide that won't be emitted up to 2018--which is more than the reduction efforts fixed by all the rich countries. Hard to imagine that by doing nothing (in other words, stopping deforestation), you are actually doing something to help the planet. It never ceases to amaze me just how resilient this rock we call Earth truly is. We keep hitting the old girl, and she keeps on picking herself up to fight another day.

And finally, a couple of sports headlines that caught my eye this weekend.

Cycling - Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France, marking the first time he will compete in that race and the Giro d'Italia in the same year. "I'm committed to riding for the best guy," Armstrong said Monday, acknowledging the taxing schedule could leave him riding in a supporting role in France. Armstrong's Astana team includes 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador and is loaded with other talented riders. "We'll abide by the same code that I do: cycling is team sport, while we'd all like to win," he said. Armstrong as a "domestique"? I'll believe it when I see it. Still, the dudes at the Versus television network (not too mention Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin) must be thanking their lucky stars that the Tour will include arguably its biggest star at least one more time.

Football - New York Giants star receiver Plaxico Burress is set to turn himself in to authorities and will be charged after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh at a New York nightclub on Friday night. So is being a dumb-ass considered a felon or just a misdemeanor? The incident occurred Friday night at the Latin Quarter club. Burress was in hospital overnight and released on Saturday afternoon. Burress, who has 41 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns this season, had already been ruled out of the Giant's next game after aggravating a hamstring injury early in a victory over the Arizona Cardinals the week before. Buress had signed a five-year, 35-million-dollar contract extension prior to the season, but has been having a tumultuous year. He was suspended for the team's October 5 game against Seattle after missing a team meeting. He was also involved in a sideline confrontation with coach Tom Coughlin during a game and has been fined several times. Don't you think that some of the Giants brass was secretly hoping that Buress didn't hit something a little more important? Not much, mind you. Just enough to sideline this moron permanently?